Aleksander Ceferin has taken another step in UEFA after approving new formats for the 2029 Nations League and 2030 World Cup qualifiers. Aleksander Ceferin and the UEFA Executive Committee convened on Wednesday in Istanbul, Turkey, to address proposed modifications to competition formats. Following the meeting, European soccer’s governing body announced approved changes to be implemented beginning with the 2029 Nations League and carrying through to the 2030 World Cup qualifiers. In recent years, UEFA has shown a willingness to restructure its club competitions significantly. The introduction of the Conference League brought a third tier to European club football, while the replacement of the traditional group stage with a league phase format was rolled out across the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. Wednesday’s decisions bring that reform mindset to the international stage. The changes announced apply to competitions involving European national teams, with the timeline skewed toward the medium term. With the 2027 Nations League and Euro 2028 still operating under the existing format, the first edition to reflect the new structure will be the 2029 UEFA Nations League, followed by the World Cup qualifying campaign for the 2030 edition. Changes for the 2029 Nations League Managing the wide range of competitive levels among European national teams has always been a challenge, and one of the Nations League’s core purposes was to bring order to that imbalance by grouping nations into tiers and divisions. That structure will now be refined under the new format. UEFA Nations League new format. As confirmed in a statement released by UEFA on Wednesday, the Nations League will transition from four leagues to three, namely League A, League B and League C, each consisting of 18 national teams. Those teams will be divided into groups of six, with each side playing six matches against five different opponents, facing teams from other pots either home or away and meeting their same-pot opponent in a home-and-away format. The one exception to the group-of-six structure applies to League C, where one group will contain seven teams. All other established mechanisms, including promotion and relegation between tiers and the quarterfinals and Final Four format hosted at a single venue, will remain in place. Changes for the 2030 World Cup qualifiers Up through the 2026 World Cup qualifying cycle, European teams were organized into 12 groups of varying sizes, with some containing four and others five teams depending on the adjustments required by Nations League Final Four participants. The upcoming cycle will introduce a broader, tier-based approach that mirrors the Nations League structure. The new qualifying format will feature two tiers, League 1 and League 2. League 1 will include 36 nations drawn from the top two tiers of the Nations League, split into three groups of 12, with each team playing six matches against six different opponents, two from each seeding pot. The top finishers in each group will earn automatic qualification, with the remaining spots decided through a playoff system. New format for the 2030 UEFA World Cup qualifiers. League 2 will be composed of the remaining 18 to 19 nations from the Nations League, split into three groups of six, or one group of seven where necessary. UEFA president Čeferin framed the reforms as a meaningful step forward for the competition’s integrity and appeal. “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,” he said. These changes, alongside the broader structural concept, will be subject to further refinement in the coming months before receiving final approval at the next UEFA Executive Committee meeting, scheduled for September 15, 2026 in Thessaloniki, Gre
FC Barcelona will face off against Real Betis in Matchday 37 of the 2025/2026 La Liga season. Here’s how fans in the USA can watch the game live. Here are all of the details of where you can watch Barcelona vs Betis on US television and via legal streaming: WHO Barcelona vs Betis WHAT Spanish LaLiga WHEN 3:15pm ET / 12:15pm PT • Sunday, May 17, 2026 WHERE ESPN+, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, and ESPN Deportes STREAM WATCH NOW Match Overview Barcelona enters the final home game of their season with the La Liga title already secured, but with history firmly in their sights. Hansi Flick‘s side is on the verge of completing a perfect home campaign, having won all 18 of their matches at Camp Nou so far. Securing one more victory would make them only the second team in the 21st century across Europe’s top leagues to achieve a 100% home record, placing immense importance on this seemingly dead-rubber fixture. Meanwhile, Real Betis arrives in Barcelona with their own objectives successfully met. Having locked up fifth place and a coveted spot in next season’s Champions League, Manuel Pellegrini‘s team has the freedom to play without pressure. Riding a seven-match unbeaten streak in the league, Betis will be eager to cap off an impressive season with a statement win against the champions on their own turf, playing the role of ultimate spoilers. Tactical Analysis & Match Context This season has seen Barcelona reassert their domestic dominance, clinching back-to-back league titles in style. Their campaign was highlighted by an 11-game winning streak that built an insurmountable lead, though a recent loss to Alaves showed they are not invincible. In contrast, Betis has been a model of consistency and resilience, securing European football by proving to be one of Spain’s toughest teams to break down, especially in the latter half of the season. The tactical battle will pit Barcelona‘s high-octane, aggressive offense against Betis’s organized and effective system. Barcelona leads La Liga with 91 goals and the highest expected goals (xG), a testament to their relentless attacking philosophy. This approach, however, relies on a high defensive line that has left them vulnerable in cup competitions. Betis boasts the fifth-best attack and defense in the league, suggesting they have the tools to both withstand pressure and pose a significant threat on the counter-attack. For Barcelona, the motivation is singular and historic: to win all 19 home league games in a season. For the players and fans, this match is a celebration and a chance to etch their names in the record books. Betis, free from any league pressure, is playing for pride. Manager Manuel Pellegrini also has a personal score to settle, as he has historically struggled against Barcelona, making a victory here a significant personal achievement to close out the year. Head-to-Head Record & Historic Trends Historically, this fixture has been overwhelmingly dominated by Barcelona. The Catalan giants are undefeated in their last ten encounters with Betis, securing seven wins and three draws. Betis has not tasted victory against Barcelona since a narrow 1-0 win back in 2021, underscoring the scale of the challenge they face at Camp Nou. Recent matches between these two sides have been incredibly entertaining and high-scoring affairs. The reverse fixture earlier this season was an eight-goal thriller that ended in a 5-3 victory for Barcelona. Remarkably, both teams have found the back of the net in each of the last five head-to-head meetings, and Barcelona has scored four or more goals against Betis in three of those five contests. The data points to a game filled with goals. The last five matchups have produced an astonishing average of 5.2 goals per game. Bettors should also watch Barcelona‘s Ferran Torres, who has been a nightmare for the Betis defense, scoring eight goals in his last five appearances against them, a run that includes two hat-tricks. Squad News & Projected Lineups Both managers wil
A sizeable contingent of Australian players in the US adds intrigue to the upcoming Group D clash between the two nationsLucas Herrington was once dubbed a “baby giraffe” for his gangly frame, but he has emerged as a genuine bolter for the Socceroos’ World Cup squad. While the 18-year-old’s rapid growth has been a shock, his increasing favour with coach Tony Popovic is more than a reflection of his quality as a footballer.Now proving his potential against the likes of Lionel Messi and Thomas Müller in MLS, Herrington is proof of how Australian football has become reliant on the United States, in terms of both talent development and financial survival. Continue reading...
Martin Perelman believes that Orlando City’s consistency is improving little by little, despite the Lions losing to CF Montreal in their last MLS outing. Orlando suffered their eighth defeat of the season at the weekend as stoppage-time goals from Daniel Rios and Dagur Thorhallsson sealed a 2-0 win for Montreal. It was a result that […] The post Orlando City SC v Philadelphia Union: Hosts´ consistency improving little by little, says Perelman appeared first on Soccer News.
Vincent Kompany says Bayern Munich’s “mission is to win” against Paris Saint-Germain as they look to overturn their Champions League semi-final deficit. The two European giants played out an enthralling first leg, which finished 5-4 in PSG’s favour, with Ousmane Dembele’s goal proving to be the difference. That tie was the highest scoring European Cup […] The post ´The mission is to win´ – Kompany only expects one outcome from PSG clash appeared first on Soccer News.
La Liga president Javier Tebas addressed the potential Real Madrid guard of honor for Barcelona. There are still five matches left to decide La Liga. Barcelona are 11 points ahead of Real Madrid with everything going their way. That has raised the possibility of a guard of honor, as El Clásico is coming soon. La Liga president Javier Tebas addressed the topic during a public event. Tebas said: “The rules don’t say anything about the guard of honor; it’s a tradition and traditions depend on the clubs. There isn’t a rule that establishes it. Tradition says you should do it for the champion, but it must be decided by the players and the club, Real Madrid. But there aren’t champions yet. You are saying it too soon.” That is something to keep an eye on, with the two giants set to meet on May 10. The title could be decided this weekend if Barcelona beat Osasuna and Real Madrid fail to beat Espanyol. If that does not happen, the champions could be decided when they meet in Barcelona. Tebas on criticism from Real Madrid At the Red de Ciudades de La Liga event, held at the headquarters of the Federación de Municipios y Provincias, Tebas also addressed criticism from Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez. Pérez often criticizes La Liga president (David Ramos/Getty Images) This difference in views has been going on for years, with Pérez presenting his club as the victim in some situations while the league president has responded with blunt comments of his own. Tebas said: “I’m not surprised by Real Madrid. They don’t like anything that involves coordinated action from all the clubs as a group. That’s not how they view professional soccer. Real Madrid don’t share that concept. I’ve heard their president say many times that La Liga is Real Madrid with 19 other teams.” Tebas on racism The La Liga president said the goal of the meeting was to fight racism, as there have been many recent incidents, including fans and players from the national team being affected by it. Tebas said: “The goal was to prevent this type of chants and behavior that exist in society and in sport. With this alliance between the cities that have professional soccer, we can create many strategies that will help us reduce this.”
FIFA's marketplace for resale World Cup tickets no longer has seats listed for Toronto matches after a new price cap came into effect last week. The Ontario legislation bans people and platforms from reselling seats to events in the province for more than face value.
