Major-minor nations split in World Cup qualifying
Uefa is implementing a two-tier qualification process for the 2030 World Cup, separating major and minor nations. This change aims to reduce uncompetitive matches and provide a fairer chance for lower-ranked teams. The new format will also align qualification with a Champions League-style system.
- ▪The top 36 countries will be placed in League 1, while the remaining 18 nations will compete in League 2.
- ▪All teams in League 1 will play six home-or-away matches against different opponents.
- ▪Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin stated that the new formats will improve competitive balance and reduce dead matches.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/major-minor-nations-split-world-150445616.html","headline":"Major-minor nations split in World Cup qualifying","datePublished":"2026-05-20T15:30:55.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-20T15:30:55.000Z","keywords":["2022 World Cup","Nations League","2030 World Cup","2026 World Cup","Uefa","qualification"],"description":"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...","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Yahoo…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Yahoo Sports.