A UEFA delegation is to visit Casement Park, just days after equipment and workers were deployed to the west Belfast venue.
The delegation is expected to visit the ground on Wednesday after attending the Northern Ireland Women’s team play-off match against Montenegro at Windsor Park on Tuesday evening.
Workers remained on the site on the Andersonstown Road on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the visit by the delegation. A large excavator also appeared on the site in recent days to help carry out what was described as preparatory work.
An Irish FA spokesperson said: “We are looking forward to hosting UEFA to share more details about plans to host UEFA Euro 2028.
“These are exciting times. Being part of this unique UK and Ireland tournament will benefit not just football but all sections of our society and we look forward to sharing the compelling story of Northern Ireland and Belfast.”
A UEFA spokesperson said: “UEFA is here on a technical site visit to discuss solutions jointly as it’s in the common interest of all stakeholders that the project can go ahead. We have no further information to provide you with.”
The delegation will be joined on the tour of Casement by officials from the GAA and the IFA.
Local planning for the 2028 Euros is being led by the IFA, but responsibility for the reconstruction of Casement is headed by GAA officials and the Department for Communities (DfC). Oversight and operational planning groups were established to help deliver the 2028 Euros, with members drawn from the IFA, the GAA and government departments.
Patrick Nelson, the Irish FA’s chief executive, is the association’s representative on these groups.
Members of the UEFA team are also expected to meet with Stormont officials, the PSNI leadership and Belfast City Council representatives during their visit.
The visit is happening amid continued debate over funding to cover the full, as yet unknown, cost of turning the decrepit site into a state-of-the-art 34,500 capacity stadium by mid-2027, the deadline for inclusion as a 2028 venue.
Along with Casement, nine stadia were selected to host matches in the Irish/British tournament, the Aviva in Dublin, Hampden Park in Glasgow, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, and six in England, including Wembley in London.
The UEFA delegation’s arrival comes a week after the Irish Government announced a £42.5m addition to the just over £77m already pledged, £62.5m from Stormont and £15m from the GAA.
New GAA President Jarlath Burns, along with other senior members of the organisation, were expected to attend Tuesday’s Nations League play-off. First Minister Michelle O’Neill was also due to attend the game.
The Northern Ireland team hold a 2-0 lead from Friday’s first leg.
