UEFA is reportedly preparing to review its entire system of international qualifiers amid mounting concern that fans — and broadcasters — are losing interest in the current format. With declining television audiences and dwindling enthusiasm for traditional qualifying campaigns, Europe’s footballing body is now exploring radical alternatives to re-energize the path to both the World Cup and the European Championship.
A special working group within UEFA’s National Teams Committee has been created to study possible reforms, with two ideas at the forefront: expanding the use of the Nations League as a qualification mechanism, and introducing a “Swiss model” similar to that being rolled out in UEFA’s revamped club competitions.
According to The Times, UEFA’s general secretaries from all 55 European federations were briefed on the potential shake-up during a recent meeting in Málaga. The discussions reportedly focused on balancing competitiveness, financial fairness, and audience appeal — three areas where the current system has started to fall short.
“Broadcast revenues and fan engagement around international qualifiers have been going down, but they have been going up in the Nations League,” a UEFA source explained. “It’s been looked at before, but it’s very difficult to find the right formula — one that keeps jeopardy for the big nations while still giving smaller teams opportunities.”
The context for this review is clear. Under the existing model, top nations often face long qualifying campaigns filled with predictable, one-sided fixtures. For example, England’s recent World Cup qualifying group saw them play Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra home and away — fixtures that, while straightforward on paper, generated limited excitement and modest viewing figures. For broadcasters and sponsors, the lack of high-stakes drama until the late stages has made these qualifiers a harder sell.
In contrast, the UEFA Nations League — introduced in 2018 — has succeeded in revitalizing the international calendar by creating tiered divisions where promotion and relegation add competitive meaning. The tournament has delivered more even contests and occasional surprises, which in turn have boosted television audiences and fan engagement.
That success has not gone unnoticed, especially as UEFA has already implemented the Nations League as the qualification route for women’s tournaments, including the Women’s Euros, World Cup, and Olympics, since 2023. The new working group will now assess whether a similar model could be extended to the men’s game, effectively transforming qualifying into a continuous league-based cycle rather than a series of static groups.
However, using the Nations League as a direct qualifier comes with trade-offs. Smaller nations often rely on hosting glamour fixtures against heavyweights like France, Germany, or England for crucial financial windfalls. A league-based structure, in which teams mainly face others of similar ranking, risks cutting off those revenue streams and reducing the romantic appeal of David-versus-Goliath matchups.
To address that, UEFA is also considering a more radical structural shift: the “Swiss model.” Borrowed from chess tournaments and adapted for club competitions, this system would place all 55 European nations in a single ranking pool. Instead of fixed groups, each team would play six or eight matches against opponents determined by seeding, ensuring a mix of stronger and weaker fixtures. Crucially, each matchup would be played only once, rather than home and away, cutting down on fixture congestion.
Results from all those matches would feed into one comprehensive league table. Qualification would then be determined by overall standings — for instance, if 16 European World Cup spots were up for grabs, the top 12 teams might qualify automatically, with the next eight competing in play-offs for the remaining four berths. This format would create a broader sense of competition and unpredictability, while still allowing marquee matchups to emerge naturally through seeding.
Yet enthusiasm for the Swiss model is far from universal. One UEFA insider cautioned that what works for club football might not translate smoothly to the international stage. “The Swiss format is not a magical formula,” the source said, noting that national teams operate under unique constraints — fewer matches, limited preparation time, and greater disparities in quality. The system could also complicate logistics for fans and federations, particularly with fixtures spread across multiple countries.
Still, the appetite for reform appears real. UEFA’s leadership is under pressure to keep international football relevant in a crowded sporting landscape. The rise of expanded club competitions, coupled with increasingly packed domestic calendars, has reduced the time and attention fans devote to international qualifiers. Without change, there is a risk that even the World Cup and Euros — once the pinnacle of national pride — could lose their narrative build-up.
The coming months will see UEFA’s working group present its findings and recommendations, likely sparking intense debate among federations. Some smaller associations will push to preserve financial safeguards and fair access, while larger nations and broadcasters will argue for formats that guarantee more compelling and commercially viable fixtures.
Whether through the Nations League, a Swiss-style structure, or a hybrid system combining both, UEFA’s goal is clear: to inject jeopardy, drama, and audience appeal back into the international stage. The challenge will be to do so without alienating the smaller nations that form the foundation of European football’s identity.
For now, one thing seems certain — the days of predictable, low-stakes qualifying groups could be numbered. In their place, UEFA is envisioning a future where every match counts, and where the road to the World Cup or Euros once again captures the imagination of fans across the continent.
