The footballing body UEFA has approved an ‘experimental’ Champions League-style qualification format for European national teams ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
The new qualification format will replace the usual groups, drawing inspiration from UEFA’s ‘Swiss system’ that will debut in club football during the 2024-25 campaign.
With the highest 36-ranked teams within Europe playing in League A (divided into three groups of 12 teams), they will not be playing every team within their respective groups and will instead play six teams selected by UEFA to complete the matches. The size of the groups in League B will depend on how many nations enter and also how many spaces on the roster become available.
According to UEFA, the top three teams within the League A groups will gain an automatic pass to either the European Championships or World Cup, and the remaining spaces to both the finals will be made available through playoffs contested by teams from both League A and B.
The idea is believed to prevent ‘one-sided matches’, and instead offer more competitive fixtures and meaningful qualification ties.
President of UEFA Aleksander Ceferin stated that the proposed changes ‘ improve competitive balance while delivering a more engaging and exciting tournament structure for the fans’ without adding extra international dates to the calendar.
The proposal will likely be passed in September by the UEFA executive committee.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and Spain and Portugal automatically receive bids due to being co-hosts.
UEFA also announced in December, with regard to the new format being rolled out in 2028-29, the Nations League will also be overhauled to accommodate three leagues with eighteen nations in each league, divided into three groups of six teams.
England’s FA CEO Mark Bullingham stated that the proposals have received strong support among European football authorities as it looks to bring international games more in line with modern standards and the next decade of competitive football.
