AFC's qualification for 2030 FIFA world cup will begin in the 2027 calendar year and will conclude in 2030. But alongside it, there will be a pilot tournament for AFC Nations League which will also start the qualification process for AFC Asian Cup 2032 and FIFA world cup 2034. This pilot tournament (also called ANL Preliminary edition) will be played in the 2028/29 season. The tournament mimics the actual Nations League format that will be played from 2030 onwards. Teams will be grouped into three tiers - 1, 2 and 3 depending on their performances in the first and second round of qualifiers. The top tier (consisting of 18 teams) will also be the third round of qualification for 2030 FIFA world cup. Second and third tiers will have 18 and 11 teams respectively. Promotion and relegation will be implemented for teams between the tiers. Two teams from each tier will be automatically promoted/relegated, while 4 others will be put into two groups and will play in 'ANL playoffs' which will be a centralized tournament hosted by the top seed. Top two teams from each group will be placed in the higher tier in ANL, rest in the lower one. See the diagram below for more information: https://preview.redd.it/qm1qzlufcoth1.png?width=768&format=png&auto=webp&s=375f5bd11c6ec31ab540bb1809b4fd20f3d116e4   submitted by   /u/FunPainting8107 [link]   [comments]