UEFA plans to revamp qualifying group formats for the 2030 World Cup and Euro 2032
A FIFA World Cup trophy is displayed on stage for a panel on the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament halftime show at the Global Citizen NOW summit, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in New York. Credit: AP/Heather Khalifa
GENEVA — UEFA has proposed a revamp of qualifying for the 2030 World Cup and 2032 European Championship that could end mismatches between the strongest and weakest teams, with a format similar to the Champions League.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin revealed last year that reform was planned to revive interest from fans and broadcasters because many traditional men's qualifying groups had become predictable.
Lopsided recent results that provoked concern included France beating Gibraltar 14-0 in a Euro 2024 qualifying game, and Austria’s 10-0 win over San Marino last year in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
On Wednesday, UEFA proposed creating a top tier of the 36 best-ranked teams playing in three groups of 12 with a format similar to the Champions League.
Teams in those groups would each play six games against six different opponents and be ranked in a 12-team league table. Teams would be drawn from three different seeding pots, playing a weighted schedule of two teams from each pot.
Such a format could fit in existing FIFA-mandated schedules from September to November and would not add extra games to player workloads.
The 36 top teams would not play teams ranked Nos. 37 to 55 by UEFA, which could play games in a separate tier and also have a path through playoffs to qualifying for major tournaments.
A decision on the proposed revamp is expected in September, UEFA said after an executive committee meeting on the sidelines of the Europa League final in Istanbul, Turkey.
“The concept will be fine-tuned over the next few months before being submitted for final approval of the detailed format at the next Executive Committee meeting,” UEFA said.
UEFA did not specify how many direct qualifying places would be earned from each 12-team group.
The 2030 World Cup being co-hosted mainly by Spain, Portugal and Morocco — with three opening games in South America — is expected to be a 48-team tournament. Europe should get 16 qualifying slots.
FIFA has been asked by South American soccer body CONMEBOL to consider expanding to 64 teams.
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