The Irish Football Association (IFA) has announced that it will not pursue the option of expanding Windsor Park to host Euro 2028 matches, if the redevelopment of Casement Park is not completed in time. The IFA said that there is “no route to fund an expansion” of the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park, which has a capacity of 18,500, well below the minimum requirement of 30,000 for the European Championship games.
UK and Ireland bid for Euro 2028
The UK and Ireland have submitted a joint bid to host the Euro 2028 tournament, with 10 stadiums across the five nations selected as potential venues. The bid has been backed by the Prime Ministers of the UK and Ireland, as well as the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, who said it would be the “biggest sporting event our islands have ever jointly staged”.
The 10 stadiums are:
- Wembley Stadium (London) (capacity 90,652)
- Principality Stadium (Cardiff) (73,952)
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) (62,322)
- Etihad Stadium (Manchester) (61,000)
- Everton Stadium (Liverpool) (52,679)
- St James’ Park (Newcastle) (52,305)
- Villa Park (Birmingham) (52,190)
- Hampden Park (Glasgow) (52,032)
- Aviva Stadium (Dublin) (51,711)
- Casement Park (Belfast) (34,500)
The bid faces competition from Turkey, which is the only other candidate to host the tournament in June and July 2028. A decision on who will host the Euro 2028 finals is expected to be made by Uefa’s executive committee in September 2024, with work on all potential host stadiums to begin by at least the summer of 2024, four years before the tournament.
Casement Park redevelopment stalled
Casement Park, which is primarily a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) venue, has not been in use since 2013, and its redevelopment has been subject to a legal challenge and a political impasse. The proposed new stadium, which would have a capacity of 34,500, has been granted planning permission, but the funding for the project has not been secured.
The UK government said it was working on the issue, but declined to say whether extra financial support would be forthcoming. The GAA said it was confident that the new Casement Park stadium would be built, and that it had made progress behind the scenes with officials to get the necessary approvals.
The IFA said it supported the UK and Ireland bid for Euro 2028, and hoped that Casement Park would be ready to host the tournament. However, it also said that it had explored the possibility of expanding Windsor Park as an alternative venue, but found that it was not feasible.
Windsor Park not an option
Windsor Park, where Northern Ireland play their home matches, does not meet the minimum capacity requirements for hosting Euro 2028 matches, and would need to be expanded by at least 11,500 seats. The IFA said that it had looked into various options, such as temporary stands, but concluded that none of them were viable.
The IFA said that it would cost around £40m to expand Windsor Park, and that there was no funding available from the UK government, the Northern Ireland Executive, or Uefa. It also said that expanding Windsor Park would have a negative impact on the surrounding area, and that it would face planning and legal challenges.
The IFA said that it was committed to improving Windsor Park as the home of Northern Ireland football, but that it was not an option for hosting Euro 2028 matches. It said that it hoped that Casement Park would be delivered as soon as possible, and that it would work with the GAA and the other football associations to ensure a successful bid for the tournament.
