22/06/2026
Announcement: Resumption of the 2026 Northern Ireland Confederation Cup
We are pleased to inform everyone that the 2026 Northern Ireland Confederation Cup, which was previously suspended due to the recent unrest in Belfast, will now resume.
We sincerely appreciate the support, encouragement, and understanding shown by everyone during this period, especially our funders, sponsors, trustees, volunteers, partners, allies, the police, friends, participating teams, and supporters. Your commitment and cooperation have been invaluable.
As the situation has now become calmer, we look forward to welcoming everyone back to the tournament.
Traditionally, the competition begins with a group stage, guaranteeing each team a minimum of three matches before progressing to the knockout rounds. However, due to the disruption caused by the unrest, which resulted in the loss of two weeks of competition time, and with the tournament scheduled to conclude on 25 July 2026, we have had to revise the format.
As a result, all participating teams will now advance directly to the Round of 16, which will be played as knockout matches. The eight winning teams will progress to the Quarter-Finals on 5 July 2026, followed by the Semi-Finals on 19 July 2026.
We deeply appreciate the understanding and cooperation of all participating teams, particularly for attending the revised tournament draw held on Friday, 19 June, at our Townsend Enterprise Park office.
We thank everyone for their continued support and look forward to an exciting and successful conclusion to the 2026 Northern Ireland Confederation Cup.
Northern Ireland Confederation Cup Organising Committee 2026