• and – On 9 May 2024, Albania and Serbia confirmed their intent to bid together. Albania originally wanted to bid alone, however the stadium requirements for the tournament led the Albanians to find a partner. He followed by saying that of the other bidders at the time, the federation chose Serbia over Belgium and Turkey. The opening match would be in
Tirana and the final would held at the National Stadium in
Belgrade if built in time. ; Protests This bid has generated a considerable amount of controversy in both nations due to both nations'
mutual dislike of each other,
their relations with Kosovo, as well as other matters. Back in October 2014, both nations
played a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier game in
Belgrade, which was eventually abandoned after 42 minutes following several incidents and a pitch invasion during the match. Both the Serbian and Albanian football federations have been fined numerous times due to fans displaying politically motivated banners about Kosovo and each other. On 20 May 2024, an Albanian fan group protested by spraying paint and gluing photos in front of the offices of the federation. In response, Kosovo announced a huge revamp of their stadiums after the news of the joint bid. Albania's most capped player,
Lorik Cana, has also criticised the bid. However, former politician
Milaim Zeka supported the bid. Fan groups in Albania and Kosovo have both said they are strongly against the bid. ;Withdrew • • The host was set to be decided by the UEFA Executive Committee on 16 December 2024, however the selection delayed to February 2025 whilst awaiting security guarantees. On 4 February 2025, Albania and Serbia were given the hosting rights. == Preparations ==