UEFA has announced changes to its World Cup qualifying structure to be implemented after Euro 2028, which will mean major European nations will no longer face the continent’s minnows.
New formats for World Cup qualifying and for the Nations League were confirmed on Wednesday following a meeting of the governing body’s Executive Committee in Istanbul.
The changes will see UEFA qualifying for the 2030 World Cup split into two separate leagues.
League 1 will feature the top 36 countries, determined by the results of the 2028 Nations League, drawn into three groups of 12. The remaining 18 countries will feature in League 2.
Each League 1 country will play six home-or-away games against six different opponents, drawn from each of the three pots, marking a departure from the previous format in which teams would be placed into a group and face each of their opponents home and away.
The top-ranked teams in each League 1 group will qualify for the World Cup, with play-offs deciding the remaining places. The automatic qualifying slots have not been confirmed.
League 2 countries, who will be drawn into three groups of six, will still have chances to qualify.
Meanwhile, the Nations League will be restructured from 2028, going from three leagues of 16 and one of six to three divisions of 18 teams. Each league will have three groups of six, with countries playing six matches against five different opponents.
Teams will be drawn into three pots of six and will face one opponent home and away and four others in home-or-away games.
Promotion and relegation between the divisions will remain, as will semi-finals and finals.
UEFA president Alexander Ceferin said: “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.
“Altogether, the changes will grow the value of UEFA men’s national team football and we are very much looking forward to the implementation of the new competition systems.”
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