Euro 2028: Northern Ireland will not be classed as host nation for tournament

Northern Ireland will not be classed as a host nation for the Euro 2028 finals and will miss out on a back-door route to qualify, the Football Association of Ireland’s chief executive says.

Uefa have yet to formally outline the qualification procedure for the tournament – which will be held in the UK and Ireland – but it is thought that all of the co-hosts will compete in the group stages of qualification, with at least two spots left in reserve for nations who do not qualify on merit.

FAI CEO David Courell says that would not include Northern Ireland, who also would not be a part of any potential play-off series involving the hosts as they are no longer regarded as a host nation after Casement Park’s removal as a host stadium.

Those play-offs could involve any of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland who do not qualify automatically for the tournament through the group stages.

Northern Ireland would therefore have to qualify through the regular qualifying process.

“To be clear Northern Ireland won’t qualify for an automatic slot if they are not a host nation,” FAI CEO Courell said at a media briefing in Dublin on Tuesday.

“We are having conversations with Uefa but the working assumption is all of us [the UK and Ireland host nations] will go through qualification and if we are unsuccessful in qualifying on merit, then there will be automatic slots in reserve – but that has yet to be ratified by Uefa,” he added.

When contacted by BBC Sport NI, an Irish Football Association spokesperson confirmed the position as relayed in the FAI briefing.

Casement Park in Belfast had initially been named as one of the host venues for Euro 2028, but plans to redevelop the stadium in time for the finals were halted in September.

The UK government said the estimated cost of rebuilding the stadium had “risen dramatically” to more than £400m.

It said it would not be providing funding to redevelop the stadium in time for the tournament, adding that there was a “significant risk” it would not be built in time.