The Asian Football Confederation is studying multiple options for the format of the “Asia Nations League” tournament expected to be launched as part of a project to restructure national team competitions on the continent, amid a trend to find a formula that gives international matches greater competitive importance and reduces reliance on friendly confrontations.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the concepts up for discussion include holding the Nations League as an independent tournament in its own right, or linking it directly to the qualifiers for the World Cup and the Asian Cup, in addition to an option based on holding the competitions according to a regional division within the continent, while discussions are still ongoing to reach the final formula.
One of the formulas being discussed includes holding the tournament every two years, starting from 2030, and dividing the continent’s 47 teams into three levels, with the first level including 18 teams, and the same in the second level, compared to 11 teams in the third level.
According to this formula, there will be no division between the east and west of the continent; The teams will compete within unified levels, with a system of promotion and relegation adopted between them, allowing the teams to move between levels according to their results.
In the editions linked to the World Cup qualifiers, the Nations League will be part of the qualification path to the World Cup. The top six places in the first level qualify directly to the finals, while the teams occupying positions from seventh to tenth move to a playoff stage to determine two additional direct tickets, in addition to determining the team that competes in the global playoff.
As for the versions associated with the Asian Cup, the formula proposes that all first-level teams qualify for the continental finals, along with the best six second-level teams.
The proposal is not limited to using the tournament as a qualification path; It also includes the qualification of the best eight teams in the first level to the knockout rounds to determine the AFC Nations League champion.
The AFC proposes to hold a trial version during the 2028 and 2029 seasons, before the start of the first official version in 2030, provided that the trial stage is used to test the system and determine the distribution of teams at different levels.
The options presented are still in the study and consultation stage, and the AFC has not yet adopted the final form of the tournament, whether by holding an independent competition, linking it to the qualification paths for major tournaments, or adopting a regional formula, awaiting the determination of the model that will form the new system for Asian team competitions.
The proposed proposals face multiple organizational and logistical challenges, in light of the great geographical breadth of the Asian continent, the long distances between the teams in the east, west and south of the continent, and the resulting long trips and high operational costs, in addition to the difficulty of aligning match dates with the international calendar and the entitlements of clubs and teams.
These challenges increase if a unified formula is adopted that brings together the continent’s teams without geographical division. Teams may have to travel long distances to play one match during the international break, which makes aspects related to travel, hospitalization, and rest periods issues that must be taken into consideration when choosing the final system for the tournament.
Frenchman Jules Kounde, Barcelona's Spanish defender, admitted that his decline in performance was the reason for not relying on him as a starter in the recent period with his club.
In a press conference before the France national team faced Turkey, on Monday, in the fourth round of the European Nations League, Koundé was asked why he has not participated regularly recently, and he did not evade the question according to the Spanish newspaper “Mundo Deportivo” and said: “It is the decision of my coach in the team. I am in good physical condition and do not suffer from injuries. If I participated in a short time, it is because last season I did not perform that lived up to the level I am known for.”
He added: “This is a result of what happened and it is a challenge that I accept with pleasure, so I have to work as I always do, and it is up to me to perform at the best level. I knew that even when I was starting, I would get playing time.”
Barcelona leads the Spanish League with 21 points, having won all seven matches so far in the tournament.
Formula 1 rules officials pledged to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was delayed due to rain, and which British star Lewis Hamilton described as a “Lego race,” after several cars broke down due to technical problems.
Amidst severe confusion at the start of the race, Dutchman Max Verstappen achieved his first victory in 2025, followed by Italian Kimi Antonelli in second place, and Hamilton secured his place on the podium by finishing third after starting the race in 18th place on the starting grid.
On the other hand, Briton George Russell withdrew from third place on the starting grid due to an engine problem, thus eliminating his hopes of competing in the World Drivers' Championship.
But unprecedented scenes imposed themselves on the race hosted by the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia, amid the failure of a number of new season cars that were subjected to strong criticism to operate efficiently in the rain.
After postponing the date of the first start due to heavy rain, Formula 1 officials were forced to cancel the start, as the drivers, including Verstappen and Hamilton, suddenly faced technical malfunctions during the warm-up, and were unable to start their cars.
Verstappen, who had previously hinted at the possibility of retiring due to his dissatisfaction with the new laws, succeeded in starting at the required speed, and the cameras showed him laughing in amazement at the cars breaking down on the side of the track.
The cars returned slowly and with difficulty to the pit lane, and the competition was postponed for an additional 53 minutes until race officials gave the green light to restart the race.
