Major-minor nations split in World Cup qualifying
Summary
Uefa will change the World Cup qualifying process for 2030 by creating two separate groups: the top 36 teams will compete in League 1, while the rest play in League 2. This change aims to make matches more competitive by having major teams avoid playing against very small nations, and all teams will play six matches in a new format similar to the Champions League.Key Facts
- Uefa will introduce a two-tier system for 2030 World Cup qualifying: League 1 with 36 top teams and League 2 with 18 lower-ranked teams.
- The teams in League 1 will be split into three groups of 12 teams each.
- Each team in League 1 will play six matches against six different opponents—three home and three away.
- Major countries will no longer face very small nations like San Marino, Gibraltar, or Andorra in qualifiers.
- The qualification format will mirror the Champions League with fewer matches than before, fixing the previous inconsistency where some teams played six matches and others played eight.
- The best teams in each League 1 group will qualify directly for the World Cup, with additional spots decided through play-offs.
- League 2 teams still have a chance to qualify through a separate tournament.
- The Nations League will be restructured in 2028 into three divisions of 18 teams each, with new group formats and promotion/relegation continuing.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.