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Major-minor nations split in World Cup qualifying
TL;DR
Uefa will implement a two-tier qualification process for the 2030 World Cup, separating major nations from minor ones like San Marino and Gibraltar. This change aims to create a fairer competition and reduce uncompetitive matches.
Key points
- Uefa introduces a two-tier qualification for the 2030 World Cup
- Major countries will not play minor nations like San Marino and Gibraltar
- Top 36 countries will be drawn into three groups of 12 teams in League 1
- Remaining 18 nations will compete in a separate tournament
- Qualification format mirrors the Champions League
Uefa will create a two-tier qualification process for the 2030 World Cup which will mean major countries will no longer play minor nations such as San Marino, Gibraltar and Andorra.
Critics have long campaigned for qualifying to be changed to remove uncompetitive games.
Under the new rules, the top 36 countries - as determined by the 2028 edition of the Nations League - will be drawn into three groups of 12 teams in League 1.
The remaining 18 nations will play in a separate tournament, which is considered to create a fairer system where they have a greater chance of results.
Qualification has also been completely revamped to mirror the Champions League format.
For the 2026 World Cup, some countries played six qualifiers but some played eight. Now all will play six.
Every team in the 12-team group will play six home-or-away matches against six different opponents - two per pot.
It moves qualifying away from the regular format where teams would play all opponents in their group home and away.
The best-ranked teams of each group of League 1 will qualify for the World Cup, with the remaining places allocated via play-offs.
Uefa has not confirmed the breakdown of the automatic slots.
The remaining 18, lower-ranked countries - under the current format, effectively all but the group winners in League C and all seven countries in League D - will take part in League 2.
Countries in League 2 would still have opportunities to qualify.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: "The new formats 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."
Uefa also announced that the Nations League would be restructured from 2028, into three divisions of 18 teams - each with three groups of six teams.
Teams will still play six matches, but against five different opponents.
There will be three pots of six teams.
For example, a team in pot one would play another team from pot one home and away, plus two teams each from pots two and three home or away.
Semi-finals, finals, promotion and relegation will continue.
Q&A
What is the new qualification format for the 2030 World Cup?
The new format features a two-tier system where the top 36 countries will compete in League 1, while the remaining 18 nations will participate in a separate tournament.
Which countries are considered minor nations in World Cup qualifying?
Minor nations include teams like San Marino, Gibraltar, and Andorra, which will no longer compete against major countries in the new qualification process.
How will the new World Cup qualifying system affect competitive balance?
The revamped system is designed to create a fairer competition by allowing minor nations a better chance of achieving favorable results against similarly ranked teams.
