World Cup on the brink of a revolution

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·15 octobre 2025

World Cup on the brink of a revolution

In recent years, we have already seen several changes in football, and this is expected to continue according to L’Equipe. Indeed, UEFA is working on a format change for World Cup qualification in Europe. We might see the format of the Champions League, but nothing is confirmed yet. We will have to wait.

Pour sauver les matches de qualifications de l'ennui, l'UEFA est prête à tout changer afin d'offrir des affrontements entre « gros » pays. Un modèle similaire à celui appliqué en Ligue des champions est évoqué. https://t.co/LfiLEje9u9
– mardi 14 octobre 2025

"The 2024-2028 cycle has been sold to broadcasters in the current format, making it difficult to conclude before its end."

With two main options mentioned on Monday in our columns. The first is to use the Nations League as a qualification system for major tournaments, as is already the case for women. The second is to copy the new Champions League with a league format, single matches, without home and away games, and an overall ranking to determine direct qualifiers and playoff contenders. Practically, there could be a single group with 54 countries (UEFA has 55 members, but Russia is suspended), or two groups of 27 teams with a fair distribution between large, medium, and small nations. It remains to be seen when this change can be implemented. The 2024-2028 cycle has been sold to broadcasters in the current format, making it difficult to conclude before its end."

It is not settled yet, so nothing is fixed, and many things can still change. However, it would not be surprising to see the qualification move towards the Champions League format.

Vidéos OneFootball

Which seems to be a success and might allow for more surprises than the current groups, where the favorite is often very clear and the "small" countries are forced to achieve a feat for a hope of qualification. There would also be more "big matches," which can appeal to players, fans, and broadcasters. The Nations League, however, should not be forgotten. It could also give it a bit more flavor.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.