Revolution in football! UEFA considers World Cup and Euro qualifying reform inspired by Champions League model

UEFA is contemplating sweeping changes to the qualification format for the World Cup and European Championship. The organization aims to make the qualifying tournaments more exciting and eliminate "boring" and uneven matches between football giants and underdogs.

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Details: According to L'Equipe, two possible scenarios are under consideration:

• First option: Use the Nations League as the main qualifying system for major tournaments.
• Second: Introduce a format similar to the new Champions League model, where teams compete in a single league without return matches, creating a unified ranking that determines direct qualifiers and the teams that head to the playoffs.

The main goal: to boost interest in qualification and provide more balanced, competitive clashes—an approach expected to attract more viewers and raise the commercial value of the competitions. According to UEFA officials, the current format is outdated and needs to be refreshed to meet the demands of modern football.

However, any changes will not take effect before 2028, as the current cycle (2024–2028) has already been sold to broadcasters and will be held under the existing system.

Reminder: According to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the organization will help Gaza restore its football infrastructure.