UEFA has on Wednesday introduced a Champions League-style format to national team qualification for the 2030 World Cup.
The 36 highest-ranked countries will be split into three groups of 12 in League A and will be drawn to play six of those teams, similar to the ‘Swiss system’ which was introduced in the new league phase of UEFA’s club competitions from the start of the 2024-25 season.
The best-ranked nations from the three League 1 groups will qualify for the World Cup, with the remaining places decided via play-offs.
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The other 18, lower-ranked countries will compete in League 2 and would also have a chance to qualify.
UEFA president Aleksander 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.”
He further said that the changes will grow the value of UEFA men’s national team football. “We are very much looking forward to the implementation of the new competition systems.”
