The end of the qualifications you know and a fair chance for less: UEFA has changed the system for qualifying for the European Championship and World Cup, as well as the Nations League

The biggest changes to the qualification system in the last few decades - the news was announced after the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Istanbul.

Changes are also coming to the Nations League, but the European qualifiers for the Euro and World Cup after 2028 will be particularly interesting, as they will be reminiscent of the youngest European competition.

What is important for Montenegro is the message from UEFA that the new system will provide a fair chance for smaller national teams to qualify.

First of all, the European Football Union explained the new Nations League system.

According to the new structure, from the 2028/29 season, the current four leagues will be reduced to three (A, B, C) of 18 teams each. Each league will consist of three groups of six teams each, playing six matches against five different opponents - home or away. Apparently, the same way the league part of the Champions League is played.

With 55 teams participating, League C will have one group of seven teams and will start earlier. The quarter-finals, final four and promotion/relegation play-offs remain unchanged.

The European qualifiers will also have a tiered system, with League 1 consisting of 36 teams from Nations League A and B, and League 2 with the remaining 18 (or 19) teams from the Nations League.

League 1 will have three groups of 12 teams (drawn from three pots), with each team playing six home or away matches against six different opponents. League 2 will follow the same format as Nations League C, with three groups of six teams (or one group of seven).

Although the hosts will qualify directly for the final tournament, they will also participate in the European qualifiers due to their placement for the next edition of the Nations League.

The top-ranked teams from each League 1 group will directly qualify for the major competition, while the remaining places will be filled through a play-off system.

This is where UEFA claims that the playoffs will guarantee a fair chance for qualification for the smaller teams from League 2, although it is not yet clear how. Everything will certainly be clearer when the competitions start.

Before that, all national teams will compete in Euro 2028 under the old system.