Ireland and UK launch joint bid to host Euro 2028

The FAI has confirmed that it will be part of a joint bid with the football associations of Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales to host Euro 2028.

The five associations had initially commissioned a feasibility study to host the World Cup, however the political indications from UEFA suggested that Europe’s governing body would favour a joint Spain/Portugal bid for the 2030 World Cup and so the British and Irish associations chose to target the Euros, saying the return on investment would be just as big.

It’s not yet clear whether the tournament will include 24 or 32 teams and so the number of venues required is unknown.

Both the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park are under consideration for the bid.

Currently Northern Ireland doesn’t have a stadium big enough to host any games but a redeveloped Casement Park could come into the reckoning.

In a statement released on Monday morning, the FAI said: “Hosting a UEFA Euro [championship] offers a similar return on investment, with the European tournament carrying a far lower delivery cost and the potential of the benefits being realised sooner.

“It would be an honour and a privilege to collectively host UEFA Euro 2028 and to welcome all of Europe. It would also be a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the true impact of hosting a world-class football tournament by driving positive change and leaving a lasting legacy across our communities.

“We believe the Republic of Ireland and the UK can offer UEFA and European football something special in 2028 – a compact and unique five-way hosting collaboration that will provide a great experience for the teams and the fans.”

Dublin was supposed to be one of 12 hosts cities for Euro 2020 along with Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome and St Petersburg.

The Covid-19 pandemic ultimately saw the matches that had been slated for the Aviva Stadium reallocated to St Petersburg.

FAI CEO Jonathan Hill said there have been discussions with the GAA in relation to the potential use of Croker for the tournament.

“In terms of the feasibility study that we initiated before in relation to the World Cup bid, absolutely,” he said.

“We talk to them anyway on a regular basis and that was part of the initial discussion and as I say we wait to see what the parameters will be from UEFA in relation to the number of stadia and the number of matches.”

Irish FA CEO Patrick Nelson said they hope to host games in the North, with a redeveloped Casement Park a possible venue.

Windsor Park’s 18,500 capacity falls short of the expected 30,000 required to host Euro finals matches, while Ulster Rugby’s Kingspan Stadium holds around 18,000.

A revamped Casement Park however would hold almost 35,000 fans, with Nelson commenting: “We speak to the GAA on a regular basis. Nothing is ruled in or ruled out at this point other than the fact that we definitely want to host games in Northern Ireland.

“We’re not along for the ride, we want to be a full part of the bid so we’ll be talking to everybody we need to going forward.”