The report says the new plan would create two tiers.
That would mean heavyweights no longer opening qualification against sides such as San Marino, Gibraltar or Andorra in the main phase. From UEFA’s perspective, that is a competitive balance argument as much as a commercial one. Fewer predictable scorelines should mean more meaningful fixtures, stronger television interest and less dead time in the calendar.
There is also a sporting fairness case. Smaller nations would still have a route to the World Cup, but against opponents closer to their own level.
The report also says the format itself would change.
That is a major break from the traditional group model. It also mirrors the scheduling logic used in modern club competitions: broader variety, fewer repeat fixtures, and a more standardised workload. Just as importantly, it would remove the current imbalance where some European sides can end up playing more qualifiers than others.
The reform would not stop there. Reports suggest the Nations League will also be reshaped from 2028.
If UEFA follows through, the next debate will be whether this genuinely protects smaller countries or simply pushes them further from the elite. Either way, the road to 2030 could look very different - and the details of qualification places and play-offs will be the next part of the story to watch.