UEFACompetition·UEFA's executive committee, meeting in IstanbulVenue·Istanbul on Wednesday, has given its approval to a significant restructuring of the qualification process for men's World CupCompetition·World Cup and European Championship tournaments. This comprehensive revamp, designed to foster more competitive fixtures and diminish the prevalence of mismatches, will be implemented from the 2028-29 season, following the conclusion of Euro 2028Competition·Euro 2028.
The new structure integrates elements of the Swiss system, which has been adopted in UEFACompetition·UEFA's club competitions, and will be anchored in the most recent Nations League rankings. Under the revised format, qualification will be tiered. League 1 will comprise three groups of 12 teams, while League 2 will feature the lower 18 nations, potentially 19 if Russia is reinstated, divided into three groups of six or two groups of six and one of seven. Each team will participate in six matches—three home and three away—drawn from three pots based on their ranking.
Direct qualification spots for the respective tournaments will be allocated to an unspecified number of teams from League 1. A subsequent playoff competition will provide a pathway for some teams that fall short, alongside a selection of nations from League 2. The precise allocation of these spots will vary depending on the tournament, with 24 teams reaching a European Championship and 16 European berths currently available for World Cups. Host nations will automatically qualify but are also expected to engage in the new format.
This qualification overhaul mirrors a similarly revamped Nations League, which will transition from its current four leagues to three leagues of 18 teams—League A, League B, and League C—from the 2028-29 season. These will be divided into groups of six, with teams playing six games against five different opponents, one home and one away. The 36 teams in League A and League B of the Nations League will form League 1 of the World CupCompetition·World Cup and European Championship qualifiers, with League C mirroring League 2.
UEFACompetition·UEFA President Aleksander CeferinPlayer·Aleksander Ceferin articulated the rationale behind these changes, stating: "The new formats will improve competitive balance, reduce the number of dead matches, offer a more appealing and dynamic competition to fans, while ensuring a fair qualification chance for all teams and without adding any additional dates in the international calendar."
While this significant revamp is set for future cycles, it is important to note that the current 2025-26 season's qualifying campaigns, specifically for the 2026 FIFA World CupCompetition·World Cup, are operating under a different, existing structure. That format features twelve groups, with six groups of four teams and six groups of five teams. Group winners secure direct qualification, while twelve second-placed teams and four best-ranked Nations League group winners (who didn't finish in the top two of their World CupCompetition·World Cup qualifying group) advance to play-offs.
The impetus for these changes came from leading countries and broadcasters, who sought to refresh a system widely perceived as having become stale, particularly given how routinely some larger nations, such as EnglandTeam·England, have progressed to major tournaments. While the new system promises more competitive encounters, some smaller nations may express dissatisfaction at the effective removal of guaranteed high-profile matches in qualifying competitions. Final approval for the new-look Nations League is anticipated at UEFACompetition·UEFA's next executive committee meeting, scheduled for Thessaloniki on 15 September.
This article was generated by AI (gemini-2.5-flash). Learn more.
