UEFA consider change of qualifying process amid fears of waning interest

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Veselin Trajkovic
in
Editorial, European Championships, World Cup
12 Oct 2025

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.”