Uefa is poised to formally pull the plug on Casement Park as a Euro 2028 venue reports suggest

Casement Park GAA stadium in west Belfast is being rebuilt after lying derelict for more than ten years. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

​With continuing wrangling over who will foot the bill for the spiralling redevelopment costs, it looks increasingly unlikely that a plan can be put in place to have the west Belfast GAA ground completed – to the standard required by football’s governing body – in time for final approval in the summer of 2027.

The latest suggested cost of building the new stadium has risen to more than £300 million – up from the original estimate of £77.5m.

It had been suggested that a new Labour government after the July 4 general election might move quickly to pledge the cash, however, a party spokesperson was non-committal when asked if that would be the case, saying: "Any incoming government will have to understand what the costs now are, what is deliverable with partners and to what timetable”.

It has now been reported that Uefa has already made a number of key decisions in relation to Euro 2028, including awarding Cardiff, not Wembley, the opening game, and dropping Casement Park from the list of ten host venues.

According to the report in The Times newspaper, Wembley will host the semi-finals and the final of the tournament.

Last week, a former senior Uefa strategist said believes Belfast, and Northern Ireland more generally, will miss out on a huge opportunity, both financially and political, with the likely loss of Euro 2028.

Republic of Ireland based Ian Mallon told the Irish News that it is “so unique for any city to be considered as a host venue for such a major tournament,” and said that the mix of support, disinterest, and outright opposition to the use of Casement Park was, from a wider perspective, “completely irrational and ridiculous”.

Speaking at the Ireland’s Future event in Belfast on Saturday, NI First Minister and Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neill assured the 2,000-strong audience that Casement Park will be “built on my watch”.

She said her preference was that the ground would be ready in time for the Euros, but said that in any case it would be rebuilt while she is in office.