With 10 points from a possible 12 in Ireland’s first four Euro 2020 qualifiers positivity is high that Mick McCarthy will lead his men to what will be a unique finals competition. For the first ever time matches will be held across 12 different cities, including Dublin.
Last Wednesday the first ticket ballot was opened by Uefa and will remain open until 1pm on July 12th. It doesn’t matter when you apply within that window, everyone will have an equal chance of getting tickets so don’t panic, you still have as good a chance as anyone.
Having said that, Uefa did receive over 300,000 applications from 109 countries within the first hour of the portal opening last Wednesday so be prepared not to get anything out of your applications.
But it’s always worth a shot so without further ado, here’s how you could book a place at next year’s tournament.
How many matches are in Dublin and who are the other hosts?
Dublin will host three group games and a last 16 match while there are also plenty of destinations which would make for a nice few days away. The 12 host cities are: Bilbao, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Amsterdam, Munich, Rome, Copenhagen, Budapest, St Petersburg, Bucharest and Baku.
Where do I apply for tickets?
Applications are made at euro2020.tickets.uefa.com where you will register an email address and fill in your details including passport number, address and phone number.
Can I apply for Ireland’s matches only?
No. In this first ticket ballot you apply for games without knowing who is going to be playing in them. Seems strange but that’s just the way it is. For instance, you can apply for the first match in Dublin on June 15th but there is no guarantee that, even if Ireland qualify, they will be playing in it.
So, how can I get tickets for Ireland’s games if we qualify?
Tickets for specific teams will go on sale via the second ballot in December after the draw is made and we know which teams are going. However, be warned that if Ireland do qualify and you look for tickets in that second ballot the FAI have said that supporters must meet the criteria set out which generally means season ticket holders will be first in line.
But do we even know what cities Ireland would be playing in?
Yes, we do. In the group stages anyway. If Ireland qualify we will be allocated to Group E for which the host cities will be Dublin and Bilbao. That means that we will play two matches in Dublin and one in Bilbao. It also means we will be paired in the same group as Spain.
So can’t I just apply for every game in Dublin and every game in Bilbao?
No, unfortunately you can’t because you can only apply for one match per day and, on matchdays one and three in Group E, there is a game in both cities. That means that the best you can do to have a chance of seeing at least one of Ireland’s matches is to apply for all three games in Dublin (June 15th, 19th and 24th) and the second game in Bilbao (June 20th).
And what about the last 16?
Well, this is where it gets even more uncertain. Ireland’s potential destinations for the last 16 are Bilbao, Budapest, Copenhagen or Glasgow. Again, you can only take your chances applying for three of those as the games in Bilbao and Budapest are on the same day.
Seems there are a lot of chances to be taken. How much will this all cost me?
Well it depends on how many matches you apply for but the prices for group matches in Dublin and Bilbao are €50, €125 and €185. You can apply for a maximum of four tickets per match.
Can I apply for tickets to the final?
Yep, in this ballot there are 1.5 million tickets available for every game from matchday one to the final in Wembley on July 12th.
When will I be charged if I do get tickets?
The ballot will take place in the middle of August at which time you will receive an email notifying you that you have been successful. You will also be given a limited time to pay for the tickets.
– This article is part of a series of consumer-based sports stories. If you have any queries, stories or issues regarding travel, tickets, sport on television or anything else you can email rcroke@irishtimes.com or via Twitter @Ruaidhri_Croke.
