The European Football Association (UEFA) has formed a working group to consider introducing changes to the system of international competitions, including the frequency of international breaks and a qualification format modeled after the Champions League.
According to the Times, the decision to form the working group was announced at a meeting of the general secretaries of the 55 European football associations held in Spain.
The working group operates within the framework of the UEFA Committee for National Team Competitions, chaired by the President of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, and members include, among others, the chief executives of the English and Scottish FAs, Mark Bullingham and Ian Maxwell.
According to UEFA, the aim is to examine the possibility of modernising the World Cup and European Championship qualifiers, as there are concerns that the current formats are "too predictable" and not attractive enough for fans and broadcasters.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin stated at the Football Summit in Portugal that "the European Championship will probably not change its format, but that the qualifiers could become more interesting."
"There will not be more matches, but a different, more attractive system. We are currently thinking about that," said Čeferin.
As part of the broader review, UEFA will also analyze possible changes to the international break calendar.
There are currently five of them - in March, June, September, October and November, but they could be combined in future years, following FIFA's decision to combine the September and October breaks into one three-week break, starting in the fall of 2026.
One of the ideas that will be considered is the application of the so-called "Swiss model", which is already used in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
Under this system, teams would play against rivals of varying quality in a single table, instead of the current group format with 12 groups in which the winners go directly to the final tournament.
These changes would apply from the EURO 2032 qualifiers at the earliest.
Ceferin said that "unpredictability is what makes football special."
"Previously, it was already known in December who would advance, and now, in the new format, even the strongest clubs, such as PSG or Manchester City, are not sure until the last round. It is precisely this uncertainty that makes the competitions more exciting," said the UEFA president.
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