Expensive stadium construction in Belfast
Northern Ireland disappointed about impending Euro 2028 exit
When the 2028 European Championship was awarded, Welshman Gareth Bale (l) and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin were looking forward to a tournament with five hosts – now Northern Ireland is in trouble. Photo
© Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa
The head of government of the former troubled British province sees it as a missed opportunity. There is already speculation about which cities will get the matches that were supposed to kick off in Belfast.
Northern Ireland has reacted with great disappointment to the impending cancellation of the 2028 European Football Championship. Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill described on X, formerly Twitter, the British government’s decision to cover the significantly increased costs of rebuilding Casement Park in Belfast’s refusal to wear the jersey was a “missed opportunity for our sport and our economy”. And she announced: “The Casement Park will be built.”
The currently dilapidated arena is the stadium planned for the European Championship games in Northern Ireland. The original estimate for the new building was around £77 million. The costs have risen “dramatically” from £180 million in October 2023 to more than £400 million (€474 million), according to the British government. It also sees a “significant risk” that the stadium will not be completed in time for the tournament.
When asked by the German Press Agency, the European Football Union said it had taken note of the British government’s position. It would review it together with Great Britain and Ireland in order to discuss the impact on the planning of the tournament’s host cities.
“The game is over”
The matches that were to be played at Casement Park will now be split between the other European Championship hosts England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, media reports said. According to the Times, a UEFA source assumes that the games will be moved to Wembley Stadium in London, the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
“Game over for Casement: £400m bill ends Northern Ireland’s Euro dream,” wrote the Belfast Telegraph. The Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) spoke of a “bitter disappointment.”
A new stadium would also host traditional Irish ball sports, the GAA is the governing body for these. “This was a tremendous opportunity to create jobs, boost tourism and showcase everything that makes our island and its people special on the world stage,” wrote Northern Ireland’s Prime Minister O’Neill.