England could be one of the nations to host the 2028 European Championships.

According to the BBC, the football associations of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland have submitted a joint expression of interest in staging the next Euros yet to have been assigned a host.

On the back of a cross-continent format for Euro 2020, the UK and Ireland could welcome Europe to its shores in 2028 if they're chosen to inherit the baton from Germany, who will step up to the plate in two years.

UK and Ireland could host Euro 2028

There is still some way to go before UEFA give the bid a green light with Turkey, as well as a controversial bid from Russia, also touted in the race to stage the 18th European Championships.

However, if the UK and Ireland were chosen to be the epicentre of continental action in 2028, then it would mark a fantastic opportunity for England to ensure that football comes home in more ways than one.

Besides, it would be just the third time in history after Euro '96 and the 1966 World Cup that England will have been chosen as hosts, albeit along with Ireland and its British neighbours this time around.

How might England line up?

So, in the interest of getting unashamedly ahead of ourselves and imagining the partisan beer gardens of 2028, we wanted to picture how England might actually line up for a potential home tournament.

After all, if the England of six years' time were to follow in the footsteps of the 1966 team in winning a major trophy on home soil, then they would become household names for the rest of their lives.

As such, we have taken the step of predicting what England's starting XI will be for Euro 2028 by assessing how we think the current and upcoming batch of Three Lions stars will perform when the time comes.

Soccer Football - World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - Group I - England v Albania - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - November 12, 2021 General view outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

And yes, in case you're wondering, we're well aware that it's a virtually impossible exercise that is bound to leave us with egg on our face, but come on, don't pretend as though it's not fun to have a punt.

Predicting England's Euro 2028 XI

So, without further ado, be sure to save the URL, set a reminder for 2028 and mentally draft your tweet to take the mickey out of us as you walk through our prediction for England's starting XI at a home Euros.

GK: Aaron Ramsdale

We can't see Pickford holding onto the number shirt until he's 34 years old, so there will have long been a changing of the guard for Ramsdale - five years his junior - who has all the qualities you want in a modern 'keeper.

Soccer Football - World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - Group I - San Marino v England - San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino - November 15, 2021 England's Aaron Ramsdale during the warm up before the match Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine

RB: Reece James

Look, Trent Alexander-Arnold will still be an absolute shoo-in for the England squad come 2028, but the simple fact of the matter is that James - who will be in his prime at 28 - suits the nation's system better.

Plus, dare we say that there's room for the Chelsea star to overtake his compatriot as the world's best right-back because the form he's showing this season suggests that his ceiling could be scarily high.

CB: Ben White

England will want at least one experienced head in their centre-back partnership and White will be well established as one of the Premier League's finest defenders, maybe even as Arsenal captain, by 2028.

Soccer Football - International Friendly - England v Romania - Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, Britain - June 6, 2021 England's Ben White in action Pool via REUTERS/Lee Smith

CB: Levi Colwill

Let's face it, there's going to be at least one position taken by a player who hasn't already made a name for themselves in 2022 and we're confident that the latest gem in Chelsea's academy will be that man.

Yes, Huddersfield Town fans are already well aware of Colwill's brilliance, but Premier League fans should brace themselves for a talent that could become a tent pole of England squads in the mid-2020s.

LB: Luke Thomas

Sure, we could have played it safe and selected Ben Chilwell, who could well be starting for England at 31 years old, but football never plays out how you expect it to and we're going out on a limb here.

The Three Lions are a little under-resourced at left-back, so it's not from without the realms of possibility that Thomas will elevate his exciting early promise at Leicester to top-class displays for a 'big six' club.

MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 07: Luke Thomas of England during the UEFA Under 21 Qualifier between England U21 and Kosovo U21 at Stadium mk on September 7, 2021 in Milton Keynes, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

CM: Declan Rice

Like, duh. We're getting 0/10 for originality here, but Rice has taken no time at all to become one of the sport's best defensive midfielders and we're confident that he'll have earned world-class status by Euro 2028.

CM: Jude Bellingham

Again, we're not blowing your minds here with hot takes and out-there suggestions, but surely we're all on the same page that Bellingham is going to be an absolute kingpin in his prime? Our captain.

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 - Group D - Czech Republic v England - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - June 22, 2021 England's Jude Bellingham in action Pool via REUTERS/Carl Recine

CM: Harvey Elliott

It's frightening to think how at home Elliott looks in Liverpool's front line at 19 years old. Repeat: 19 years old.

So, yes, the prospect of the Premier League's youngest ever player tearing through defences as the attacking midfielder in England's XI for Euro 2028 doesn't feel like a reach in the slightest.

RW: Bukayo Saka

One of the first names on England's team sheet at just 20 years old despite eye-watering competition on the wings, Saka will be strutting his stuff with three lions on his chest when football comes home.

Soccer Football - International Friendly - England v Austria - Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, Britain - June 2, 2021 England's Bukayo Saka in action with Austria's Stefan Lainer Pool via REUTERS/Peter Powell

ST: Liam Delap

We'll be transparent: the centre forward position was the toughest choice of all. Sure, a 34-year-old Harry Kane might make the squad for leadership and experience purposes, but we had to turn to youth here.

So, bugger it, we're investing in the notion that Delap will thrive off working with Pep Guardiola and maybe even Erling Haaland to springboard from Manchester City to leading the line for England at Euro 2028.

LW: Phil Foden

One of the easiest selections on the team sheet. Heralded as the most talented player that Guardiola has ever seen, Foden could well have reached a world-beating prime when he's 27 years old.

Soccer Football - England Training - St George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - March 22, 2022 England's Phil Foden during training Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine

Bench: Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Charlie Patino, Emile Smith Rowe, Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho

Bound to be wrong...

This is going to look so dumb when Euro 2028 actually rolls around, isn't it?

Sod's law dictates that the tournament will actually be held in Brazil in a controversial move by UEFA with England's answer to Lionel Messi leading the line despite currently being a little-known 13-year-old at Port Vale.

All that's to say that predicting football is nothing short of a thankless task that almost always ends in embarrassment, but we just know that it's going to be interesting to look back on when 2028 rolls around.

However, hosting or not, the only thing we do know is that England fans will be hoping that football is coming home just as much as ever when the Euros pop up again in six years' time. Bring it on.