Euro 2032 stadium hopefuls receive major government backing for £87m expansion project

Genoa's Stadio Luigi Ferraris has received backing by the government for an £87m expansion project in a bid to become one of the host stadiums during the 2032 UEFA European Championship.

Euro 2032 will be staged across Italy and Turkey, with both countries set to make a decision on five host venues each in October.

The Stadio Luigi Ferraris is bidding to be one of the stadiums chosen by Italy, with this expansion project seen as a crucial step in strengthening its case for selection.

Stadio Luigi Ferraris to undergo renovation

The Stadio Luigi Ferraris, home to Genoa and Sampdoria, will undergo renovation work that is set to begin in the second half of 2026.

The renovation project will be assisted by the national government after being included in Italy's strategic national works scheme, which allows infrastructure projects to benefit from accelerated bureaucratic procedures and commissioners to ensure completion.

The project, which is estimated to cost around £87m, is aiming to deliver a new-look stadium with a guaranteed capacity of 32,000 seats, while several other adjustments will also be made to enable the venue to stage other non-football events.

New corporate boxes, multifunctional spaces and an overall restyling to the stadium's aesthetic are also being proposed, with the Stadio Luigi Ferraris' tenants Genoa and Sampdoria set to pay for such renovations.

Italy's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Edoardo Rixi, described these redevelopment plans as “a crucial step toward completing the process that will allow the city to bid to host UEFA Euro 2032.”

Rixi continued to say that the agreement of the “Ministries of Infrastructure and Transport, Economy and Sport on the Prime Ministerial Decree represents a clear assumption of responsibility by the government to accompany Genoa on a European-level infrastructural and sporting revitalisation project.”

FGG Says: Deserving upgrades for iconic stadium

The Stadio Luigi Ferraris is the oldest in Italy and one of the most iconic in the country, and it is more than deserving of this major redevelopment project, which will hopefully see it become one of Italy's host stadiums – just as it was during Italy's staging of the 1990 World Cup.