Euro 2028 to proceed with ‘nine-venue solution’

UEFA Euro 2028 will revert to being a nine-venue tournament after Football Association of Ireland (FAI) CEO, David Courell, said European football’s governing body has rejected the option of Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) venues replacing Casement Park in the hosting plan.

Casement Park was effectively struck from the hosting plan for the UK and Ireland’s staging of Euro 2028 after the UK Government confirmed in September it would not be providing funding due to the significant cost increases involved in the Belfast project.

The Irish Government last month called for the country to take on additional Euro 2028 matches following Belfast’s removal from the hosting plan. Ireland is currently scheduled to host six matches at Aviva Stadium in Dublin and it is yet to be officially decided how Belfast’s five games will be reallocated.

Dublin’s Croke Park was one of the venues omitted from the 14-venue long-list that was unveiled in November 2022, before the final 10-venue selection, including Casement Park, was made in April 2023 and the hosting rights were awarded in October last year.

UEFA was already said to be not keen on the prospect of Croke Park joining Aviva Stadium as a second host venue in Dublin. Cork’s Páirc uí Chaoimh has also previously been proposed and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, last month hinted at a move to Cork with an appeal for a “regional” spread of games.

However, Courell has now stated that while the FAI did lobby UEFA for the inclusion of GAA venues to replace Casement Park, this has been rejected with Belfast’s matches to be split between the remaining nine venues and Aviva Stadium potentially receiving only one extra game.

“The progress is that UEFA have decided that they’d like to fall back to a nine-venue solution,” Courell said, according to the Irish Independent. “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 10^th 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.”