Next year’s All-Ireland senior football championship is set to have a new format that will see a qualifier series replacing the group phase which is currently in place.

The new format, which 92.8% of delegates voted in favour of at Congress in Donegal this afternoon, will see the eight provincial finalists and the next seven teams as per league ranking, along with the Tailteann Cup winners, being drawn together in the first round of the Sam Maguire Cup.

The eight provincial finalists will have home advantage against one of the other eight and the winners will advance to Round 2A, where the draw will pit them against each other.

The victors from those games go on to the All-Ireland quarter-finals, while the losers from Round 1 meet in Round 2B and the four winners from that round are pitted against the four Round 2A losers in Round 3.

The winning teams from Round 3 will then make up the last eight teams in the Sam Maguire Cup race.

The draws will be subject to avoidance of repeat provincial final pairings and ties from previous rounds, where possible.

Motion to change the structure of the All Ireland Football Championships from. 2026 onwards was passed. Essentially means Round Robin stage eliminated
Yes 92.8% No 7.2 %@RTEgaa @RTEsport

— Marty Morrissey (@MartyMofficial) February 22, 2025

A new look All-Ireland football championship beckons but not until 2026. Sam Maguire still restricted to 16 counties but group matches will be replaced by knock out games though every team will get one 'second chance'. Current group format remains in place for 2025 series #gaa

— Sean McGoldrick (@SeanMcGoldrick1) February 22, 2025

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