Uefa Proposes Nations League-Style Revamp for Euro Qualifying
Uefa is actively considering a significant overhaul of the men's European Championship qualifying format, with an adapted version of the Nations League structure emerging as the frontrunner. This potential change, which could be implemented after the Euro 2028 tournament, aims to address longstanding concerns about the appeal and competitiveness of current qualifying campaigns.
Plans Presented to Uefa Committees
The proposals were formally presented to Uefa's national team competitions committee on Tuesday. They will now be reviewed by individual Football Associations across Europe, who are expected to discuss the plans in smaller groups in the coming days. A final decision is slated to be made by the Uefa executive committee in Istanbul ahead of next month's Europa League final.
There has been growing unease that existing qualifying formats for international competitions have become unappealing to fans and television rights holders. For larger nations, these campaigns have largely turned into routine affairs, especially since the expansion of finals spots for both European Championships and World Cups.
Working Group Explores Fresh Options
A dedicated working group, which includes the Football Association's chief executive Mark Bullingham, has been examining new possibilities for several months. However, achieving consensus across the continent may prove challenging. Among the alternatives considered is a "Swiss system", similar to that introduced in the Champions League last season. While this approach would ensure smaller nations still face some high-profile matches, it is understood to be less favoured by broadcasters and could still result in mismatches between teams.
The Nations League-based model is currently preferred by Europe's leading football nations. If approved, it would mirror the format already used for women's World Cup qualifying in Europe. This system utilises the most recent Nations League rankings as its foundation, dividing teams into three leagues before further splitting each into groups of four. This ensures that similarly-ranked teams compete against each other, with group winners from League A qualifying automatically and an extended playoff system determining the remaining qualifiers.
Potential Impact and Challenges
Given that 24 teams will qualify for the European Championship—compared to 11 Uefa teams progressing to the Women's World Cup—any new format is likely to feature more direct qualifiers. The Nations League-style scheme is seen as a way to satisfy demand for more competitive games between top-tier countries. However, there is a risk that nations lower down the rankings could feel sidelined, a topic expected to be raised in discussions between federations this week.
Retaining the current qualifying system will also be debated, but it is particularly undesirable for countries like England, who have lost only once in qualifying campaigns for major tournaments since 2009. They argue that the existing format has grown stale and lacks excitement.
Timeline and Implementation
There would be no increase in the total number of matches under the proposed changes. However, sources familiar with the process indicate that the mechanics of any overhaul, including agreements with broadcasters, are unlikely to be finalised before Euro 2028 qualifying begins next March. This suggests that fans and teams may have to wait until after the 2028 tournament to see the new format in action, marking a potential shift towards a more dynamic and engaging qualification process for Europe's premier international football competition.
