Turkish capital Istanbul has confirmed it will bid to host matches of the UEFA Euro 2020 football tournament.

The competition will be the first Euro championship to be staged in more than two different countries and plans include playing matches in up to 13 nations across Europe. The Turkish Football Federation has voiced its desire for Istanbul to host the semi-final and final matches of the tournament.

Earlier this month, Istanbul was pipped by Tokyo in the race to host the 2020 Olympic Games. The fresh efforts to host the Euro 2020 matches are seen as part of a strategy to benefit from the raised profile of sport in the country following the Olympic bid process.

Other confirmed bids to host games during Euro 2020 have so far been received from Hungary (Budapest), Serbia (Belgrade), Germany (Munich), Switzerland (Basel). The final list of confirmed cities is expected to be revealed later this week.