International soccer in Europe undergoes a revolution
Europe’s governing body has revamped the format of the UEFA Nations League, as well as qualifying for the World Cup and Euros.
UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, has decided to overhaul the international calendar. Starting with the 2028-29 season - after Euro 2028 - a bold new model will mirror the current Champions League format. The Nations League regular season, as well as qualifying for the World Cup and European Championship, will be played in larger, single-table groups that eschew the traditional round-robin system.
How will the Nations League change?
Under the new format, the Nations League will shrink from its current four leagues into three tiers of 18 teams apiece. Each league will be divided into three groups of six, with every team playing six matches against five different opponents: one-off games (home or away) against teams from other pots, plus a home-and-away series against the team drawn from their own pot. With 55 national teams involved, League C will feature one group of seven, whose schedule will begin one international window earlier to accommodate the extra fixtures. The knockout stages - quarterfinals, final four, and promotion/relegation playoffs - will remain unchanged.
How will European qualifiers change?
European qualifiers for the World Cup will also adopt a divisional structure. League 1 will include the 36 teams from Nations League Leagues A and B, while League 2 will consist of the remaining 18 (or 19) teams. In League 1, three groups of 12 teams will be drawn from three pots of 12. Each side will play six matches - home or away - against six different opponents, facing two teams from each pot, closely resembling UEFA’s club competition format. League 2 will follow the exact same structure as the Nations League’s League C, with three groups of six (or one group of seven).
Group winners in League 1 will qualify directly, while the remaining spots will be decided through a playoff system designed to ensure that teams from League 2 still have a pathway to qualification.
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