Northern Ireland could receive an economic boost of up to £120 million (€137 million) if Belfast were to host 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches, heard delegates at CBRE NI’s Outlook 2026 event.
That was one of a number of expert insights shared at the event by James Hamilton, global lead of entertainment and host cities at Turner & Townsend, who was joined as keynote speaker by Becky Stormer, head of the UK sports sector at CBRE and a footballer with Fulham FC Women.
Both CBRE and Turner & Townsend have worked closely on major sports stadium projects, such as the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar, the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and Everton Football Club’s recently opened Hill Dickinson Stadium.
CBRE NI’s annual commercial property outlook event took place at ICC Belfast and once again attracted an audience of more than 500 business leaders and key stakeholders, with this year’s theme being ‘Real Estate and Sports-Led Regeneration.’
“Sports-led regeneration has the potential to be genuinely transformational for Northern Ireland, delivering not only economic benefit, but lasting social and community value,” said Brian Lavery, managing director of CBRE NI.
“Major sporting events and venues – from rugby and football stadiums to padel tennis courts – can act as powerful catalysts for investment when there is a joined-up, long-term approach.”
Outlook 2026
Outlook 2026 also saw Lavery announce plans to launch United by Sport, a multi-stakeholder body aimed at leading discussions on how to ensure that the regeneration potential of sports venues in Northern Ireland is maximised.
The initiative has already been successfully established in two areas of England’s sporting hotbeds, in the Midlands and the North-East.
“Bringing together more than 500 people at our outlook event from across real estate, infrastructure, government and sporting bodies demonstrates the strong appetite for collaboration, and we look forward to having discussions with the relevant stakeholders through the United by Sport programme,” said Lavery.
An analysis presented by Turner & Townsend’s Hamilton suggested that Belfast being selected as a host city would generate a windfall of £70-120 million, depending on the number and significance of the matches that would take place at the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park.
The South Belfast venue is one of 22 stadia named in the joint bid by the FA, Irish FA, Scottish FA and FA of Wales, but its current capacity of 18,500 would have to be increased to have a chance of being among the final 16 grounds selected by FIFA to host matches in the tournament.
This follows Windsor Park missing out on staging matches in the 2028 Men’s European Championships, at which matches will take place in the Republic of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
Sports-Led Regeneration Projects
After delivering individual presentations reflecting on sports-led regeneration projects on which they have advised across the globe, Stormer and Hamilton took part in a panel discussion hosted by BBC Sport NI presenter Stephen Watson.
This focused on what learnings Northern Ireland can take from these projects, as it seeks to develop its sports venue estate.
“Major sporting projects create far more than short-term economic impact – they can reshape how cities are perceived, inspire participation, and leave a lasting social and cultural legacy,” said Stormer.
“For Belfast, the opportunity is about thinking holistically, from stadium capacity and surrounding infrastructure to community access and inclusion.
“If those elements are aligned, sports-led regeneration can deliver meaningful economic growth while also enhancing quality of life.”
