UEFA to Announce Changes to World Cup and Euro Qualifying Processes in Six Months

UEFA plans to reveal new qualifying processes for the World Cup and European Championship within six months. The organisation has ruled out adopting a Champions League-style format amid concerns over mismatches and declining fan interest.

UEFA is set to unveil changes to the European qualifying process for the World Cup and European Championship within six months. However, it has been confirmed that these changes will not mimic the Champions League format. The revamped Champions League, which featured a single-standings 36-team league, proved more unpredictable than the previous group stages. This format saw Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City face potential elimination in the final rounds.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin addressed the possibility of adopting a similar format for national team qualifiers at a Football Business Forum in Milan. When asked about this, he responded with a firm "No." He further mentioned that details of the new plans would be available in about six months. Speculation about UEFA's preference for a Champions League-style format for the next Euros arose after Ceferin hinted at this possibility during a conference in Lisbon.

European Qualifying Process Under Review

Europe's soccer governing body is reassessing how teams qualify for major tournaments due to concerns over waning interest from fans and broadcasters. The current 2026 World Cup qualification process involves European teams competing in round-robin groups of four or five, playing each opponent twice. This year, however, lacked thrilling matches, with Austria's 10-0 win over San Marino being one of the most one-sided results.

In a Euro 2024 qualifier two years ago, France defeated Gibraltar 14-0. Ceferin commented on these lopsided results, saying, "It's too early to say anything concrete and I even don't know because we have two options, we are not sure yet what to do." He questioned whether such results make sense and highlighted the challenges faced by smaller teams when competing against larger nations.

Balancing Competition and Opportunities

Ceferin noted that smaller teams often struggle to qualify for major tournaments due to mismatches against bigger teams. He said, "If you could combine somehow that, it's good … if you ask a small team, do you want to play Italy, France, England, Germany in the qualifiers, or do you want to have much more chances to play them at the Euro? It's the second option. But we are still discussing it."

To address this imbalance, UEFA has used its Nations League competition to ensure at least one low-ranked team qualifies for the men's Euros. North Macedonia qualified for Euro 2020 through this route, while Georgia secured a spot at Euro 2024. Both teams exceeded expectations; Georgia was particularly impressive during the group stage before losing to Spain in the round of 16.

The ongoing discussions aim to find a solution that balances competitive fairness with opportunities for smaller nations. As UEFA continues its review process, fans and stakeholders eagerly await further announcements regarding potential changes to the qualification system.

With inputs from PTI