SFA Assisting UEFA in Plans for Radical Overhaul of Major Tournament Qualification

Champions League-style system under consideration for future campaigns

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) is working alongside UEFA to explore proposed reforms to the qualification process for major international tournaments.

UEFA officials have reportedly grown concerned that many fans and broadcasters across Europe are losing interest in the current qualifying format, where four to six national teams compete in groups of 10 or 12.

With both the European Championship and the World Cup expanding, there is a growing perception that qualification lacks genuine jeopardy for the continent’s top nations.

UEFA Exploring New Qualification Models

In October, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin confirmed that discussions were taking place to develop a new structure that would inject greater excitement into qualifying campaigns.

“There won’t be any more matches, but a more interesting format,” Čeferin said — a statement widely interpreted as a reference to a potential shift towards a single-league format similar to the new Champions League system.

UEFA’s recent move away from the traditional four-team group stage in the Champions League has been broadly welcomed, with many supporters praising the new model in which each club faces eight different opponents.

A similar “Swiss system model” now appears to be UEFA’s preferred option for international football, though another possibility could see the Nations League play a greater role in determining qualification outcomes.

SFA Involved in Working Group

According to Daily Mail Sport, the SFA is part of the working group currently examining alternative formats. It is understood that Scotland’s governing body is open to innovative ideas that could help re-energise fan engagement in international football.

Although Scotland’s hopes of reaching next summer’s World Cup depend on their remaining fixtures against Greece and Denmark, there is a growing belief that the qualification campaigns of Europe’s top nations are becoming increasingly predictable — a trend that could eventually impact broadcasting revenues.

For example, England secured their place at the 48-team 2026 World Cup with two matches to spare after winning an uninspiring group that included Serbia, Albania, Latvia, and Andorra. Meanwhile, Portugal qualified for Euro 2024 by winning all ten of their matches, and France dropped points only once throughout their campaign.

New Format Unlikely Before World Cup 2030

Any major changes to the qualification structure are unlikely to take effect before Euro 2028 — a 24-team tournament that will be co-hosted by Scotland, England, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland.

The revised format would instead be introduced in time for qualification for the 2030 World Cup, which will be staged primarily in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.

Fifty-four European nations began the 2026 World Cup qualification process, with 16 teams ultimately progressing to the finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

FA and SFA Leaders Support Change

Speaking at the official Euro 2028 launch event in London, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said the time had come to modernise the qualification process.

“I think it’s really important to overhaul it,” Bullingham said. “We need to keep looking at ways to make international football even better, and there’s genuine appetite to do that. UEFA are clearly leading the process, but I’m part of a group of countries helping them explore different options.”

FA chair Debbie Hewitt echoed his remarks, emphasising the need to adapt as the football landscape evolves.

“Football changes, the world changes, the number of tournaments changes, and the number of teams participating changes,” she said. “If we continue with the same qualification model, it will eventually become outdated. We must keep challenging and refining the process.”

Hampden to Host Six Euro 2028 Matches

It was also confirmed this week that Hampden Park will host six matches during Euro 2028, including a quarter-final. If Scotland qualify, they will play all their matches at the Glasgow venue.

Bullingham further clarified that “dynamic ticket pricing” — a controversial policy adopted by FIFA for next year’s World Cup — will not be implemented for Euro 2028.

“There won’t be any dynamic ticket pricing,” he said. “That’s already well established. Two key principles are that there will be no dynamic pricing, and around half of all tickets will be in Category Three and the Fan First category, which is priced even lower. We’re confident that ticket prices will remain accessible for fans.”