European and World Cups, Uefa considers a new revolution

To make the European and World Cup qualifiers more compelling, avoiding unbalanced matches between national teams of too different levels, Uefa is reportedly considering a major overhaul of the qualification system. The aim would be to increase the number of direct challenges between the big selections of European soccer.

According to reports from L’Équipe, the hypothesis has been under discussion in the Nyon offices for some time now. The idea would be to be inspired by the Champions League model, introducing a more modern and competitive format. President Aleksander Čeferin, after all, had already hinted during the Football Summit in Lisbon at the need for structural change.

Among the options under consideration would be the use of the Nations League as a qualification pathway, or the creation of a true “league” between national teams, with 54 teams in a single group or divided into two groups of 27. This would ensure more high-level comparisons without penalizing the smaller federations, which would still have access to the qualification system.

A possible reform would not be immediate, however: the new format might not come into effect until after 2028, when the current commercial and television contracts expire. In addition to making the national teams’ calendar more balanced and interesting, the reform would also bring increased revenues, thanks to more lucrative television rights and greater appeal for challenges between the great powers of European soccer.