Ceferin Backs Uefa National League Shift for 2028-29 Qualifying
Uefa national league qualifying is changing after Euro 2028. Uefa approved a new format for men’s World Cup and European Championship qualifying on Wednesday in Istanbul, with Aleksander Ceferin saying it should tighten competition and cut dead matches.
The overhaul will not start until after Euro 2028, but the structure has already been set around the most recent Nations League rankings. It will lean on a Swiss-system model that Uefa has used in its club competitions over the past two seasons, and it keeps the international calendar from growing.
Ceferin and Istanbul approval
Ceferin said the plan 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. The executive committee approved the changes in Istanbul, and final approval is expected at the next meeting in Thessaloniki on 15 September.
For Europe’s national teams, the biggest change is the split between the top and lower bands. League 1 will contain three groups of 12 teams, while the lower 18 nations will go into three groups of six or into two groups of six and one group of seven within League 2.
League 1 and League 2
Each team will play six matches, with three at home and three away, drawn from three pots formed according to ranking. The exact number of direct qualifiers from each League 1 group will vary by tournament, but some teams that fall short in League 1 and a number from League 2 will still move into a playoff competition.
That design applies to both the World Cup and the European Championship, though the allocations differ for each event. Europe currently has 24 places at a European Championship and 16 World Cup spots, and host nations of any event held in Europe will qualify automatically while also being expected to take part in the new format.
Nations League road map
The same reshaping runs through the Nations League, which will be consolidated from four leagues into three leagues of 18 teams: League A, League B and League C. Teams will play six games against five opponents, with one opponent played home and away, and the knockout stages will stay as they are.
The 36 teams in League A and League B of the Nations League will make up League 1 of the World Cup and European Championship qualifiers, while League 2 of the European Championship qualifiers will mirror League C. A League C group would expand to seven teams if Russia return, a wrinkle that could alter the lower tier without changing the basic design.
For smaller nations, the new path removes the old guarantee of big-ticket qualifying visits. For the larger sides, it changes the route to 24 European Championship places and 16 World Cup spots from one built on mismatches to one built on ranking bands, six-match groups and playoff carryover.
