Ireland Confirmed As Euro 2028 Co-Host - €6m Promised For Irish Sport

Ireland and the UK were officially announced as hosts of the 2028 European Championships at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland this morning by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin. Here is everything you need to know about Euro 2028 and Ireland's involvement.

This means that Dublin will host European Championship games for the first time ever.

Here is a rundown of everything you need to know about Euro 2028, from the grounds set to be used during the tournament to the matches that Dublin will be co-hosting

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Pictured from UEFA Livestream: Former Wales international Gareth Bale, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, UK and Ireland Ambassadors

In a joint statement released by the FAI and FA following the confirmation of Ireland as Euro 2028 co-host, the FAI and FA said:

The FAI and the Government of Ireland are committed to a €6.2m Irish legacy fund which will be earmarked for investment across all facets of our sport.

This fund is in addition to other revenue tournament-related revenue streams for the FAI which will be directed back into the development of the game in Ireland.

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗠𝗘𝗗 | 𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 & 𝗨𝗞 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗨𝗘𝗙𝗔 𝗘𝗨𝗥𝗢 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟴 🇮🇪

Confirmed venues: 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London (x2) Manchester and Newcastle 🙌 pic.twitter.com/uTjVzB5mhF

— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) October 10, 2023

READ HERE: How Ireland Almost Co-Hosted Euro 2008 (Without A Bloody Stadium)

Which Stadiums will host Euro 2028 games?

The tournament will utilise 10 different stadiums across Ireland and the UK. The grounds being used across the UK and Ireland are as follows:

Ireland

• Aviva Stadium (Dublin)

Northern Ireland

• Casement Park (Belfast)

England

• Wembley Stadium (London)
• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London)
• Etihad Stadium (Manchester)
• Everton Stadium (Liverpool)
• St James Park (Newcastle)
• Villa Park (Birmingham)

Wales

• Principality Stadium (Cardiff)

Scotland

• Hampden Park (Glasgow)

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How many games will take place in Dublin?

Six out of the 51 games have been proposed to take place in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

It is believed the Aviva will host one of the group's group-stage fixtures and it will also host one of the quarter-final ties.

Will Casement Park be ready for Euro 2028?

This is the big question. Casement Park is the only stadium of those listed that does not currently exist yet, while Everton Stadium finishes up its construction in the next year.

As we've documented in the past, Casement Park is in a sorry state after years of neglect.

Windsor Park, the traditional home of the IFA, was not considered for Euro 2028 due to its capacity of 18,500- well below the minimum requirement of 30,000.

Since 2013, Casement Park has been a project that has failed to get off the ground. However, last year a residents' group lost their challenge to the plans and despite some issues around funding, it is expected that the stadium will be finished in time for the start of the 2028 Euros.

However, redevelopment plans have been well delayed and there are still some logistical hurdles to jump.

10 October 2023; A general view of Casement Park, which was announced as one of the proposed venues for UEFA Euro 2028, in Belfast, for the 2028 UEFA European Football Championship. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Will Croke Park host a Euro 2028 game?

No. Although the GAA granted permission for the competition to be staged at GAA HQ amid the 2028 GAA Championship, Croker was dropped from the official list of stadia when the formal bid was sent to UEFA. It's believed there were concerns about a small city having two venues in the tournament.

Will Ireland automatically qualify for 2028 tournament?

One of the bigger questions around the 2028 Euro bid is whether or not there will be automatic qualification for the hosts. UEFA have made it clear that only 2 host nations can automatically qualify for a major tournament.

The hope - as expressed by FAI president Jonathan Hill - is that all five host nations will enter the qualifying stage, with two automatic qualifying spots held in reserve for those host nations that fail to qualify through the traditional process.

There has not been much said on behalf of UEFA in regard to the prospect that 3 or more of the host nations fail to qualify for their own tournament.

There was no update on how this will be resolved when the bid was confirmed on Tuesday in Swtizerland.

FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill chats to @DaveKelly4 in Nyon, regarding co-hosting Euro 2028
⚽ Wants legacy felt before tournament, not just after
⚽ Awaiting UEFA clarity on qualification spots for hosts
⚽ Says Republic of Ireland will play at Aviva Stadium if they qualify pic.twitter.com/OY5O4EMkUS

— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 10, 2023

READ HERE: Possible Euro 2028 Qualifying Format Would Be Brilliant News For Ireland

How many teams qualify for Euro 2028?

There had been some talk of the tournament expanding to 32 teams for Euro 2028. However, it is understood the tournament will continue with the 24-team format that has been in place since the 2016 edition in France, which saw both Ireland and Northern Ireland reach the knockout stages.

This means there will be six groups of four with the Aviva and Casement Park expected to host a selection of group games. The Aviva is also expected to host a last-16 game and a quarter-final.

Euro 2028 Tickets

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