The home nations have put forward their bids to host matches for Euro 2020 European football championships.

For the first time, the tournament will be played in 13 cities in 13 different European countries.

The English bid was submitted by the FA to Uefa ahead yesterday’s midnight deadline and bids for group matches have also been submitted by Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

FA general secretary Alex Horne said: “We are bidding for either of the two packages available and with our recent experience of hosting two Uefa Champions League finals in the last four years we believe that Wembley Stadium and London represent a strong bid for Uefa to consider to mark the tournament’s 60th anniversary.”

Ireland are putting forward Dublin to host group matches while the Scottish FA’s bid centres on Hampden.

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said the toughest competition could come from close to home.

He said: “It’s highly unlikely that there will be four winning bids from the United Kingdom and Ireland.

“So our job is to try to convince Uefa that Glasgow is one of the preferred options for that zone, if you like.”

Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans welcomed the Football Association of Wales’s application to host matches in the Euro 2020 European football championships tournament in Cardiff. 

The Party of Wales member of the European Parliament said that Cardiff and Wales had both shown that they could host major international events and that Wales should not be scared of bidding to bring prestigious and world-class entertainment to the country, including the Commonwealth Games which, this year, is being held in Glasgow.

Evans said:“Wales already has a great reputation for putting on big sporting and cultural events such as the Ryder Cup or last year’s Womex Festival and it would be great if we can play host to similar events in future – bringing people together to enjoy themselves.

“I’m sure that we will be making an excellent case to Uefa after we hosted the women’s under-19 championships last year and the Super Cup in Cardiff in August will be fresh in their minds when the decision is made in September.

“Successfully hosting major cultural events is not just prestigious when they take place but can have long term knock-on effects if there is improved investment in local transport and facilities, with people who enjoy a city or occasion once then returning or organising conferences there, providing a better return on the investment.”