Are the preliminaries for the European Championship changing?! How does this national decision affect Romania?
Article by Maria Olteanu – Published Wednesday, April 22, 2026 9:48 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, April 22, 2026 9:48 p.m.
The qualifying phase for the European Football Championship could undergo a significant change, with a format adapted from the Nations League emerging as the main option being studied by UEFA. The change, aimed at increasing the attractiveness of the competition, would be implemented after Euro 2028.
The proposals have been submitted to UEFA's national team competition committee and will now be considered by each country's football federations. The final decision will belong to UEFA's executive committee, which will meet in Istanbul before next month's UEFA Europa League final, according to abola.pt.
The European preliminaries could change from 2028
There has been concern for some time that the current qualification model for major international competitions is unattractive to fans and TV rights holders. With the number of places in the final stages of the European and World Championships increasing, the qualifiers have largely become routine for the strong national teams.
A task force, which includes FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, has been studying new alternatives. Among the possibilities is the “Swiss system”, already used in the UEFA Champions League, but this option is less preferred by broadcasters as it can still lead to lopsided matches.
The format preferred by the continent's main nations is based on the Nations League model, similar to that already used in European qualifiers for the Women's World Cup.
This system uses the latest Nations League standings to divide national teams into three leagues, which in turn are subdivided into four-team groups, ensuring matches between teams of similar level.
In the women's model, the winners of the A League groups qualify directly, with an extended play-off system then in place to qualify the rest of the teams. With the men's Euro qualifying for 24 teams, compared to UEFA's 11 places for the Women's World Cup, it is likely that the new format, if approved, will allow for more direct qualifications.
While this model meets the demand for more matches between the top teams, there is a risk that lower-ranked nations will feel neglected, a topic that should be debated between federations. Retaining the current format will also be discussed but is frowned upon by countries such as England, who have lost just one game in the qualifying stages since 2009 and consider the system outdated.
