UEFA will introduce a two-tier qualification process for the 2030 World Cup, preventing major countries from regularly playing minor nations such as San Marino, Gibraltar, and Andorra. The top 36 countries, determined by the 2028 Nations League, will enter League 1 with three groups of 12 teams. The remaining 18 nations will compete in a separate League 2 tournament, intended to improve fairness and competitive balance. Qualification will be revamped to match a Champions League-style format, with every team playing six home-or-away matches against six different opponents, two per pot. League 1 group leaders will qualify directly, while additional places will be decided through play-offs. UEFA also plans to restructure the Nations League from 2028 into three divisions of 18 teams, each forming three groups of six, with six matches against five different opponents.
"Uefa will create a two-tier qualification process for the 2030 World Cup which will mean major countries will no longer play minor nations such as San Marino, Gibraltar and Andorra. Critics have long campaigned for qualifying to be changed to remove uncompetitive games. Under the new rules, the top 36 countries - as determined by the 2028 edition of the Nations League - will be drawn into three groups of 12 teams in League 1. The remaining 18 nations will play in a separate tournament, which is considered to create a fairer system where they have a greater chance of results."
"Qualification has also been completely revamped to mirror the Champions League format. For the 2026 World Cup, some countries played six qualifiers but some played eight. Now all will play six. Every team in the 12-team group will play six home-or-away matches against six different opponents - two per pot. It moves qualifying away from the regular format where teams would play all opponents in their group home and away."
"The best-ranked teams of each group of League 1 will qualify for the World Cup, with the remaining places allocated via play-offs. Uefa has not confirmed the breakdown of the automatic slots. The remaining 18, lower-ranked countries - under the current format, effectively all but the group winners in League C and all seven countries in League D - will take part in League 2."
"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." Uefa also announced that the Nations League would be restructured from 2028, into three divisions of 18 teams - each with three groups of six teams. Teams will still play six matches, but against five different opponents. There will be three pots of six teams."
Read at www.bbc.com
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