Nine venue stadium plans for Euro 2028

Article posted by Coliseum, December 6^th, 2024

Image: Coliseum GSVA

Clarity is emerging on the stadiums which are set to host matches during the UEFA European Championships in 2028 after Casement Park in Belfast was ruled out.

The Irish Independent said Dublin’s Aviva Stadium is in line to benefit by taking on one of the games left without a venue, due to Casement Park being lost as a host stadium because of a lack of funding for a redevelopment project.

However, the prospect of GAA stadiums like Croke Park in Dublin and Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork taking on matches for the finals has been ruled out as UEFA will allocate Belfast’s game to the nine venues already in place.

Casement Park is the principal Gaelic games stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located in Andersonstown Road in the West of the City and is named after the Irish revolutionary Roger Casement. The stadium, which has been closed since June 2013, previously had a capacity of approximately 31,500.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said earlier this year that the cost of rebuilding Casement Park had risen to £400 million ($524.8 million) and the UK Government will not fund the redevelopment because of the risk it would not be built in time for the UEFA European Championships in 2028.

The derelict West Belfast stadium was earmarked to host five matches in Euro 2028 being jointly hosted by the United Kingdom and Ireland.

What happens to the five games allocated to Belfast before the Casement Park idea was killed off is still unclear.

There had been hope expressed by figures in Dublin Government circles that either of the GAA stadiums in Dublin or Cork could be opened up.

The Irish Independent further stated that while the FAI did lobby UEFA with that idea, it has been knocked back.

The Belfast matches will be divided between the remaining nine venues, with Dublin’s Aviva Stadium potentially getting just one extra game.

FAI CEO David Courell said, “The progress is that UEFA have decided that they’d like to fall back to a nine-venue solution. The games due to be hosted in Northern Ireland will be distributed across the existing venues within the Euro 2028 tournament plan.

“The Republic of Ireland is fighting to get as many as we possibly can. There are limitations on what we can host in the Aviva, not because it’s not an amazing facility, but we’re already hosting four group games, one last-16 and one quarter-final.

“The schedule needs to permit adequate rest days for the pitch through the intervening period, plus the machinations of each group. We’ve expressed an interest in hosting a further two games, but I think that is probably a stretch.

“UEFA have taken the decision that they’re going to deliver the Euros with a nine-venue solution. The FAI were very supportive of a tenth venue being stood up in the Republic of Ireland.

“The Irish Government have been hugely supportive, not only to us but to attract as much of this tournament as possible to these shores. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a decision for us. We made those representations but UEFA have decided on a nine-venue solution.”

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