In recent years, we’ve already seen several changes in football, and this is expected to continue, according to L’Equipe. UEFA is working on a format change for European qualification for the World Cup. It could be the same as the Champions League, but it’s not yet official. And we’ll have to wait.
“The 2024-2028 cycle was sold to broadcasters in the current format, making it difficult to reach a conclusion before its end.”
With two main options discussed. The first is to use the Nations League as a qualification system for major tournaments, as is already the case for women’s competitions. The second is to copy the new Champions League with a league format, single matches, no home and away matches, and an overall ranking to determine the direct qualifiers and the playoffs.
In practical terms, there could be a single group of 54 countries (UEFA has 55 members, but Russia is suspended), or two of 27 teams with an equal distribution between large, medium, and small nations.
It remains to be seen when this change could take effect. The 2024-2028 cycle was sold to broadcasters based on the current format, making it difficult to reach a conclusion before its end.
It’s not yet settled, so nothing is set in stone, and many things can still change. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see qualification move towards the Champions League format.
Which seems to be a success and would perhaps allow for more surprises than the current groups, where the favorite is often very clear and the “small” countries condemned to the feat for a hope of qualification. There would also be more “big games,” which could please players, supporters, and broadcasters. The Nations League, however, should not be forgotten. This could also give it a little more flavor.
