Euro 2028: Will Belfast have a Stadium on time?

By Holly Bartlett

Last week saw the UK and Ireland win the bid to host the Men’s European Football Championship in 2028. It has been proposed that the event be held in stadiums across the countries but where would that be in Belfast?

10 venues have been chosen to host the tournament, these are: Hampden Park (Glasgow), St James’ Park (Newcastle), Etihad Stadium (Manchester), Everton Stadium (Liverpool), Villa Park (Birmingham), Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London), Wembley Stadium (London), Aviva Stadium (Dublin), Principality Stadium (Cardiff) and Casement Park (Belfast).

Casement Park, a derelict GAA ground in West Belfast, has been suggested as the preferred venue however it is far from ready for the international games set to be played there in less than 5 years. UEFA (European football governing body) set a minimum stadium capacity of 30,000 for hosting matches at a major tournament and at the minute nowhere in Northern Ireland can hold this capacity. However, an event such as the Euros can bring in a lot of benefits, not just economical but also sporting benefits as it encourages people to take up the sport.

During Northern Irelands qualifying match for the Euros some fans showed their disapproval of the use of the ground as they held up a sign saying, “No Casement” and chanting. Concerns have been shown as the project is projected to cost £170 million to be able to hold a capacity of 34,500 but where is this money going to come from?

As permission to build the stadium has been there well before the thought of Euros in Northern Ireland crossed anyone’s mind it means building is set to start as early as 2024, and the stadium is hoping for completion in 2026, 2 years before matches even begin.

By building this stadium it allows for future large sporting events to take place in Belfast, opening up more opportunities for the city and its future sporting venue potential. It also means that such a significant sporting event will include matches in Northern Ireland, an important message in a UK and Ireland wide event.

Only time will tell whether the stadium gets built in time, but having Euros matches in Belfast would be seen as a huge opportunity for the city.

Holly Bartlett is a Sport Reporter for The Scoop and an International Relations and Conflict Studies student at Queen’s University Belfast

Edited by: Ryan Brolly