One arena down: Euro 2028 to be hosted by 9 stadiums instead of 10

One of the stadiums originally included in the list of venues for the 2028 UEFA European Football Championship will no longer be used. This concerns Casement Park in Belfast, which has been excluded due to the rapid increase in reconstruction costs—the figure has soared from the initial £180 million to over £400 million.

The UK authorities have stated that the government will not cover these expenses, as there is a high risk that the stadium will not be completed in time for the tournament. This was outlined in a joint letter from Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and Sports Minister Lisa Nandy.

As a result, the Euro 2028 tournament will be held across nine stadiums instead of ten—in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The list of venues includes Wembley, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Etihad, Villa Park, St James' Park, Everton's new stadium, as well as the national arenas in Glasgow, Cardiff, and Dublin.

As for Casement Park, it has been non-operational since 2013. Attempts at reconstruction since 2014 have faced protests from local residents. Although the Northern Ireland government initially supported the project, and the Gaelic Athletic Association (the stadium's owner) promised to invest £15 million, the organization last year refused to increase funding.

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Minister Gordon Lyons confirmed that the Department for Communities remains committed to realizing the stadium project as originally planned in 2011, but the arena's participation in Euro 2028 has already been canceled.