Gibraltar to avoid top-tier European sides under UEFA competition overhaul

Gibraltar will no longer face the likes of France, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands or England in qualifying group matches following a major reform of men’s national team competitions approved by UEFA this Wednesday.

The changes, agreed by UEFA’s Executive Committee and due to come into effect after Euro 2028, will reshape both the European Qualifiers and the Nations League, introducing a more tiered system designed to separate higher and lower-ranked nations more clearly.

For Gibraltar, the impact is significant. Since joining UEFA, the national team has regularly been drawn against some of Europe’s elite sides, including France, Germany, Croatia, Poland, the Netherlands and Portugal. Under the new format, those match-ups will effectively disappear unless Gibraltar reaches the highest competitive tiers.

UEFA said the reforms follow a wide consultation process and are intended to reduce what it describes as “dead matches” while creating more balanced fixtures and improving overall competition value.

The changes also bring a restructuring of the UEFA Nations League, where Gibraltar is set to move into League C, with League D being removed entirely.

In addition, the European Qualifiers will adopt a tiered system, with stronger and lower-ranked nations separated into different leagues, further limiting cross-division fixtures between elite and developing teams.

The implications are likely to be closely watched in Gibraltar, including by the Gibraltar Football Association, particularly as the territory continues to invest in long-term infrastructure planning, including the proposed 8,000-seat national stadium.

Without the prospect of regular visits from Europe’s top-ranked sides in competitive qualifiers, the scale and frequency of high-profile international fixtures in Gibraltar may change considerably unless the national team advances into the top competitive bracket.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said the new formats are designed to improve competitive balance, reduce mismatches, and increase the appeal of international football, while maintaining the integrity of qualification pathways.

He added that the reforms would strengthen the overall value of men’s international football without increasing the number of match dates in the calendar.

UEFA also confirmed further regulatory changes, including an extension of its Standing Facilities Observer Programme for the 2026/27 season, which will allow more associations to use standing areas in UEFA competitions under specific conditions and licensing criteria.

Separately, UEFA has approved updated Club Licensing Regulations for women’s competitions. From June 1, 2028, stricter coaching requirements will apply, with head coaches required to hold a UEFA Pro Licence and assistant coaches required to hold a UEFA A Licence, following a transitional period.

The proposals are still subject to final approval of detailed regulations at a future UEFA Executive Committee meeting.

UEFA ANNOUNCEMENT IN FULL: -
The UEFA Executive Committee met today in Istanbul and made the following decisions.

New formats for the UEFA men’s national team competitions as of 2028

Following a thorough review of the current UEFA men’s national team competition formats and extensive consultation with all UEFA member associations, a new concept has been validated for implementation post UEFA EURO 2028.

In the new structure, the UEFA Nations League (UNL) will transition, as of the 2028/29 edition from the current four leagues to three leagues of 18 teams. Every league will be composed of three groups of six teams playing six matches against five different opponents: home or away against teams from different pots, home and away against the opponent of their same pot. With 55 teams participating, League C will include one group of 7 teams, whose calendar will start one window earlier. Quarter-finals, Final Four and Promotion/relegation Play-Offs will complete the format with no change.

The European Qualifiers will also assume a tiered structure: League 1, composed of the 36 teams of UNL Leagues A and B and League 2 composed of the remaining 18 (or 19) UNL teams. In League 1 there will be three groups of 12 teams drawn from three pots of 12 teams. Every team will play six home-or-away matches against six different opponents, two per pot, similarly to the format of the UEFA club competitions. League 2 will be staged exactly as UNL League C with three groups of 6 (or one of 7). While directly qualified to the final tournament, the host teams will take part in the European Qualifiers with an objective linked to their position in the next edition of the UEFA Nations League. The best ranked teams of each group of League 1 will qualify directly, while the remaining places will be allocated via a system of Play-Offs, which will guarantee fair qualification chances also to League 2 teams (visuals are available here).

The concept will be fine-tuned over the next few months before being submitted for final approval of the detailed format at the next Executive Committee meeting in September. A full analysis of the new format will be presented at a media conference following that meeting.

Commenting on the new formats, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said:

“The new formats will improve competitive balance, reduce the number of dead matches, offer a more appealing and dynamic competition to fans, while ensuring a fair qualification chance for all teams and without adding any additional dates in the international calendar.

“Altogether, the changes will grow the value of UEFA men’s national team football and we are very much looking forward to the implementation of the new competition systems.”

Safe standing in UEFA competitions

The UEFA Executive Committee approved the extension of the Standing Facilities Observer Programme for the 2026/27 season.

Associations that have been participating in the UEFA observer programme thus far may use standing facilities in all UEFA competitions, (until now the programme was limited to the men’s club competitions), including in the club qualification rounds.

Associations that thus far have not participated in the observer programme but have been using standing facilities in their domestic first division for at least the last three years may apply to use standing facilities in all UEFA competitions as from 1 September 2026.

Any other association wishing to introduce standing facilities may start planning ahead of the introduction of the new UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations for the 2027/28 season, which will include a set of mandatory minimum standards, to be finally approved after refinement and further stakeholder consultation - national associations, clubs (EFC), leagues (EL), and supporter organisation (FSE) - in the course of the upcoming new season.

Today's decision reinforces UEFA's commitment to provide the best possible matchday experiences for supporters throughout its competitions.

UEFA Regulations

The following regulations were approved:

• Regulations of the UEFA European Football Championship 2026–28

• UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations (2026 edition)

• UEFA Super Cup 2026

• UEFA Futsal Champions League 2026/27

• UEFA European Under-19 Futsal Championship 2026/27

• Amendments to the Regulations governing the Implementation of the UEFA Statutes

• UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (2026 edition)

• UEFA Organisational Regulations (2026 edition)

• UEFA Equipment Regulations (2026 edition)

• UEFA Club Licensing Regulations for UEFA Women’s Club Competitions (2026 edition) – The regulations contain new provisions raising the coaching qualifications for the head coach of the women’s first squad from UEFA A to UEFA Pro, as well as raising the minimum requirements for the assistant coach of the women’s first squad from UEFA B to UEFA A. Such provisions are subject to an exceptional transitional period and will become mandatory as of 1 June 2028.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee is scheduled for 15 September 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece.