UEFA has officially announced plans to introduce a Champions League-style qualification system for European national teams ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The governing body confirmed the new structure will mirror elements of the modern “Swiss system” already used in UEFA club competitions since the 2024/25 season.
The revamped qualification format is designed to improve competitive balance, reduce mismatched fixtures and create a more exciting pathway to major tournaments.
Under the proposed structure, Europe’s 36 highest-ranked nations will be placed into League A and split into three groups of 12 teams.
Instead of facing every nation in their group, each country will play six selected opponents — similar to the format currently used in the UEFA Champions League league phase.
League B will consist of either three groups of six teams or a combination of two groups of six and one group of seven, depending on the final number of participating nations.
UEFA confirmed that the three winners of League A groups would automatically qualify for either the World Cup or European Championship finals.
The remaining qualification spots would then be decided through an expanded playoff system involving teams from multiple leagues.
UEFA’s Executive Committee is expected to formally approve the new qualification structure during a meeting scheduled for September.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin believes the changes will modernise international football across Europe.
“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.”
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham also backed the overhaul, insisting international football must continue evolving.
“We need to keep looking at ways to make international football even better and there’s genuine appetite to do that.”
UEFA also confirmed Spain and Portugal — co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup — would qualify automatically for the tournament but would still participate in qualification matches linked to the Nations League structure.
Alongside the World Cup changes, UEFA plans to redesign the Nations League from the 2028/29 season onward.
The competition will move from four leagues to three leagues of 18 teams each, divided into three groups of six teams per league.
The current knockout phase format, including quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, will remain in place during the March and June international windows.
The reforms mark one of the biggest changes to European international football qualification in recent history as UEFA continues pushing for a more commercially attractive and competitive structure.
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