UEFA to reveal new World Cup and Euro qualifying plans within six months

By Canadian Press on November 7, 2025.

MILAN (AP) — Plans for a shake-up in the European qualifying process for the World Cup and European Championship will be revealed within six months, but UEFA was adamant Friday it won’t follow a Champions League-style format.

The new-look Champions League was a success last year as a single-standings 36-team league was more unpredictable than the traditional group stage had been. Eventual title holder Paris Saint-Germain and 2023 winner Manchester City risked elimination in the last of eight rounds.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was asked at a Football Business Forum in Milan if that could also be the way forward for national team qualifying which often sees mismatches and heavy losses for the smallest countries.

“No,” he said firmly.

When pressed on when the new plans would be revealed, Ceferin added: “I would say in around six months we should know.”

One month ago, speculation UEFA preferred a Champions League-style format for the next Euros followed Ceferin’s hints at a similar conference in Lisbon.

Europe’s soccer body is reviewing how teams qualify for major tournaments amid fears of declining interest among fans and broadcasters.

The 2026 World Cup qualification process — which ends this month — sees European nations play in round-robin groups of four or five teams, playing each opponent twice.

But there was a lack of eye-catching fixtures this year and the most lopsided result was Austria beating San Marino 10-0 last month.

France beat Gibraltar by 14-0 in a Euro 2024 qualifier two years ago.

“It’s too early to say anything concrete and I even don’t know because we have two options, we are not sure yet what to do,” Ceferin said. “But from one point of view, does it make sense that you have a result of 10-0? From the other point of view, does it make sense that because such small and middle-sized teams have to play with the big ones, they never qualify to play Europe?

“If you could combine somehow that, it’s good … if you ask (a small team), do you want to play Italy, France, England, Germany in the qualifiers, or do you want to have much more chances to play them at the Euro? It’s the second option. But we are still discussing it.”

UEFA has used its third-tier Nations League competition to ensure one low-ranked team qualifies for the men’s Euros.

It was North Macedonia at Euro 2020 then Georgia at Euro 2024 and both exceeded expectations. Georgia was one of the most exciting teams in the group stage before losing to eventual champion Spain in the round of 16.

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AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Daniella Matar, The Associated Press