The national break is so boring. And if, in fact, it is even the English Football Association, where European football has its roots, that says it, it means that we have truly reached a point of no return. “We believe that a major overhaul of the UEFA qualifying format is really important”, the appeal comes from London as the last matches are played before the play-offs for the 2026 World Cup. “We must continue to explore new ways to improve international football and there is genuine enthusiasm to do so: UEFA is clearly leading this path, as individual countries we are helping them to evaluate the best options”.
In short, the current formula is no longer good for anyone: on the one hand countless useless matches and qualifications achieved well in advance, on the other the drama – which however must never become an alibi, let’s say to Italy and Gattuso – of groupings with two designated big names, in which a single misstep can compromise the entire path of a national team. Zero margin for error, little spectacle and a lot of energy. “Football changes, the world changes, the number of tournaments changes and so does the number of teams participating in these tournaments,” reiterates the FA. “If we always stick to the same qualifying model, we will probably quickly become out of fashion. Instead, it will be essential to continue reinventing ourselves.” To find new sporting stimuli and arrive at a media-captivating product.
What are the main options on the table? Ceferin has never made a secret of it: the Swiss system of the new Champions League works and could also be applied for the national teams. Therefore a single group, with single match matches and the calendar of the respective teams determined based on the ranking. The alternative would be to give greater value to the Nations League, whose commercial and public weight has perhaps proven to be more important than expected. For now the competition offers an extra chance for some national teams to access the play-offs for the European Championships and World Cups, but in the future it could become much more decisive – thus also increasing the incentives of the participating teams (for further information, we talked about it in detail in this article).
The how must therefore be defined. But the fact that the current Euro Qualifiers have come to an end as we have known them so far is a decision that is now imminent. And the discussions for the revolution came to life. “We are not thinking of adding new matches, but of developing a more interesting format for the national teams.” Word of Ceferin. And of those many fans who no longer turn on the TV.
