UEFA modify World Cup and European Championship qualification stages

There is a new twist in international football calendar, largely due to the change in the World Cup's format, which will see an increase in the number of qualified teams from 32 to 48.

The UEFA Executive Committee has decided to modify the qualifying phase, which will now be made up of 12 groups of four or five teams, the first of which will qualify directly. The other four places will come from the playoffs to be played by the second-placed teams. The format will also be used for qualifying for the European Championship, but not for the 2024 European Championship, which will follow the traditional model.