European qualifications for international competitions organized after 2024 will be tightened with groups reduced to 4 or 5 selections (compared to 5 or 6 currently).
According to the new format, the preliminary tournaments giving access to the major final stages will have fewer matches and a more readable scheme, by dividing the fifty or so European nations into 12 groups of 4 or 5 teams.
The winners of the 12 groups will be directly qualified for the World or the Euro, as well as the best 2nd. The other teams finishing 2nd will play play-off matches against teams from the UEFA Nations League with a view to qualifying for Euro 2028.
Sixteen nations at the World Cup, 24 at the Euro
With the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams in 2026, against 32 until then, Europe will qualify 16 teams for this World Cup organized in Canada, the United States and Mexico, against 13 previously.
The number of teams qualified for Euro 2028 remains fixed at 24.
Regarding the League of Nations, a new competition created in 2018, the format is slightly modified to introduce quarter-finals in round-trip matches in March, while maintaining a “Final 4” (semi-finals and final) in June.
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