UEFA Announces Two-Tier World Cup Qualifying System for 2030
From 2030, UEFA’s World Cup qualifying will mirror the Champions League format, with group stages, play-offs, and promotion and relegation.
UEFA will use a 36-team top league and 18-team second league to determine European qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup..
UEFA announced on Wednesday that it will introduce a two-tier qualifying system for the 2030 World Cup, using a format modeled on the Champions League.
The top tier will include 36 nations, based on results from the restructured 2028/29 UEFA Nations League. Those teams will be split into three groups of 12.
Each team in League 1 will play six matches, home or away, against six different opponents. They will face two teams from each of the three pots, following the same structure used in UEFA club competitions.
The highest-ranked teams from the three League 1 groups will earn direct qualification to the World Cup. The remaining spots will be decided through play-offs.
The 18 lower-ranked nations will compete in League 2. They will also have a pathway to qualify for the tournament.
UEFA confirmed that the Nations League will move from four leagues to three divisions, each containing 18 teams. Every division will be split into three groups of six teams.
Each team will play six matches against five different opponents. They will face teams from different pots home and away, and play home-and-away matches against the team from their own pot.
The knockout phase will stay unchanged. Quarter-finals and the Final Four will remain, along with promotion and relegation play-offs.
“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,” said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
“The changes will grow the value of UEFA men's national team football.”
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