Euro 2028 chiefs rule out adding new venue following Casement Park decision
The five Euro 2028 matches that were due to be staged at Casement Park in Belfast are set to be shared around among the eight remaining venues rather than a new stadium being given hosting rights for the tournament.
There is no prospect of the Northern Ireland games being switched to nearby Windsor Park, as even after a planned redevelopment has taken place its capacity will still be little over half of Uefa’s minimum requirement for a European Championship of 30,000.
The absence of any games in Northern Ireland is an embarrassment for the five home FAs and the government, as Euro 2028 was billed as a cross-border tournament when the United Kingdom was awarded hosting rights by Uefa last year.
Internal politics within the Northern Ireland Assembly have led to delays in building work at Casement Park, however, with the UK government withdrawing funding last week after failing to receive guarantees that the redevelopment would be finished in time.
The Aviva Stadium in Dublin is expected to be given at least one additional game, with some tickets reserved for Northern Irish fans.
Hampden Park, Etihad Stadium, Emirates Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, St James’ Park and Everton’s new stadium are set to bid for the other four matches.
Given that Wembley is already hosting both semi-finals and the final, and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff has the opening game, the English and Welsh national stadiums may miss out.
The Home Nations are planning to offer training grounds in Northern Ireland to maintain their cross-border promise, while Windsor Park could stage warm-up games, but they cannot dictate where sides choose to train and the two-hour drive to Dublin may put them off.