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Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Wales to host opening ceremony of Euro 2028 and six games of tournament at renamed stadium
Wales to host opening ceremony of Euro 2028 and six games of tournament at renamed stadium The matches will be played at the Principality Stadium, which will take on a different name during the tournament Games will be played at the Principality Stadium - although it won't be known as that (Image: Getty Images ) Wales is to host the opening ceremony of Euro 2028 and six of the tournament's games. The details have been confirmed by the Welsh Government. It had already been reported Wales would host Euro 2028 with England, Ireland and Scotland. Cardiff's Principality Stadium will host games alongside stadia like Manchester City's Etihad Stadium and Newcastle United's St James' Park. The stadium will however have its name changed to Cardiff National Stadium of Wales. It mirrors what happened in the Champions League final, with UEFA ruling out advertising branding in a stadium name. To receive the latest Welsh football news sign up to the Don't Take Me Home newsletter here. FAW boss Noel Mooney had previously said the hope was for Wales to have "four, five or six matches. We'd be really happy and I think some of the other associations would be happy as well," he said. The Principality Stadium is part of a 10-stadia line-up for the bid. Six venues will be in England, including Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, St James' Park, Villa Park and Everton's new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. A redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast, the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, and Glasgow's Hampden Park are the other venues. Article continues below However, despite being one of the five hosts, Wales are not guaranteed a spot at the tournament. While the host nation usually qualifies automatically, there are too many countries involved in the bid for them to all have an automatic spot. Speaking in the Senedd, economy minister Rebecca Evans spoke about the impact large events have in Wales. She said it not only boosts the economy, but increases awareness of Wales around the world. "Hosting six matches of the UEFA Euro 2028 in Cardiff represents another significant opportunity. We can be confident that the economic benefits will be significant, and that a vibrant atmosphere for communities and for visitors alike will be guaranteed. We will also work closely with partners to ensure that these events are delivered effectively and responsibly," the economy minister said. Article continues below Then Conservative MS Samuel Kurtz said the opening ceremony will also be in Cardiff. "Not just six matches, but the open ceremony as well," he said. Wales will also host a stage of the Grand Depart as part of the Tour de France in 2027. You can read about that here.
Irish Examiner
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Meath v Cork: What time, what channel and all you need to know about the All-Ireland SFC clash
Cork are in action this weekend in their first game of the All-Ireland SFC championship where they make the trip to Navan to take on Meath. A rested Cork will be looking to upset the Leinster final runner-ups at home. Here's everything you need to know. Where and when is it on? The match takes place at Páirc Tailteann in Navan with a 3pm throw-in on Saturday May 24. Who's the referee? Noel Mooney will be taking charge of the game. What can I read about and listen to on Our reporters will be building up to the final throughout the weekend and previewing the game ahead of Sunday's throw-in. Listen to The Gaelic Football Show podcast where Paul Rouse, Maurice Brosnan and James Horan discuss the championship to date.
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Joint World Cup bid can showcase Wales
Noel Mooney says a successful joint UK bid to host the 2035 Women's World Cup would "showcase" football in Football Association of Wales (FAW) chief executive also believes that Wales, in conjunction with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, could "host a spectacular World Cup".The four nations' football associations have expressed their intention to submit a joint bid for 2035 following a decision by world governing body Fifa recommending the tournament is hosted in Europe or Africa in that year."When we became aware that Fifa were going to look for two World Cups to award -- so 2031 and '35 - we got together pretty quickly and we said we really need to bring this tournament to this part of the world," said Mooney."Of course, here in Cymru, we're very ambitious - we want to bring Wales to the world through football and we're certainly doing that through competitions we do." Wales' women's team have never played at a World Cup finals but Rhian Wilkinson's side have qualified for Euro 2025 in Switzerland this summer, which will be their first major tournament. "We are always discussing opportunities to grow the game and, as you know, this is a really special time for the women's game here in Wales having qualified for our first Euros - our first major tournament - this summer," Mooney told BBC Radio Wales' Breakfast programme."We felt with the trajectory that we're on with the women's game that bringing a World Cup to Cymru would be pretty special, so it didn't take an awful lot of thought."We've got to have an expression of interest in by the end of March. Let's see what comes."We feel pretty good about what we could bring. Hosting a World Cup here would be spectacular. We've got the stadia, we've got the fans, we've got this massive growth in the women's game." The FAW is already preparing for Wales to be co-hosts of a major international football tournament for the first time, when they stage the men's Euro 2028 finals along with the other home associations and the Republic of Ireland. Cardiff's Principality Stadium will be one of 10 venues used across nine cities in the five countries and is expected to host at least three group games, a last-16 tie and a quarter-final. The FAW hopes to be awarded the opening game, but that could depend on whether Wales qualify."The first thing is the showcasing of football here in Wales. If you take Euro 2028 for example, we fought very hard to make sure that we have the opening match here in Cardiff which the whole world will be watching," added Uefa development executive Mooney, 48, also regards automatic qualification for the 2035 Women's World Cup as being important for Wales. "We'll be working very hard to get automatic qualification," he said. "It really would be a big milestone for us to have qualification to the World Cup and automatic qualification ideally."Playing in these major tournaments is brilliant for the country, of course, but they're also major revenue streams for us in funding the grassroots game."Bids for the 2031 and 2035 finals must be submitted in the fourth quarter of 2025.A UK bid for 2035 could reportedly face a challenge from South Africa, who withdrew from the race to host the 2027 event.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New law to tackle goalkeeper time-wasting approved
A goalkeeper holding the ball for more than eight seconds will be punished with a corner for the opposition from this summer. The new law was unanimously approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at its annual general meeting in Northern Ireland on Saturday, and will be in place at Fifa's Club World Cup in the USA this summer. Under the current law keepers should be punished if they hold the ball for more than six seconds, with the opposition being awarded an indirect free-kick. But the CEO of the Football Association of Wales (FAW) Noel Mooney said implementation of the six-second rule had "dissolved over time" and it is hoped that the new law will lead to a reduction in time wasting. Already trialled in over 400 games in three different competitions, including the Premier League 2, referees will also warn the goalkeepers with a five-second countdown before they are penalised. Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said: "We had the test and the test was very successful. The referees didn't have to signal for a corner [often]." The IFAB also voted to continue offside trials in which the attacker will be ruled onside if his torso is level with the second to last defender.
BBC News
01-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
New law to tackle goalkeeper time wasting approved
A goalkeeper holding the ball for more than eight seconds will be punished with a corner for the opposition from this new law was unanimously approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at its annual general meeting in Northern Ireland on Saturday, and will be in place at Fifa's Club World Cup in the USA this summer. Under the current law keepers should be punished if they hold the ball for more than six seconds, with the opposition being awarded an indirect free-kick. But the CEO of the Football Association of Wales Noel Mooney said implementation of the six-second rule had "dissolved over time" and it is hoped that the new law will lead to a reduction in time trialled in over 400 games in three different competitions, including the Premier League 2, referees will also warn the goalkeepers with a five-second countdown before they are secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said: "We had the test and the test was very successful. The referees didn't have to signal for a corner [often]."The IFAB also voted to continue offside trials in which the attacker will be ruled onside if his torso is level with the second to last defender.
