World Cup 2026 Squad Deadlines and Team Lists Announced

FIFA World Cup Squads to be Announced on June 2

The FIFA World Cup is set to kick off in North America in less than five weeks, with 48 participating nations competing for the championship title. As part of the tournament preparations, national teams must submit their preliminary lists by May 11, which will serve as the official pool of eligible players.

The preliminary list must include a minimum of 35 players and no more than 55 players, including four goalkeepers. A maximum of 75 team officials can be named in the provisional release list, which is intended for internal use only and will not be published by FIFA.

Clubs are required to make their players available for national duty by May 25, marking the start of the “rest, mandatory release and preparation period” for the World Cup. This exception applies to clubs whose players will be in the finals of certain UEFA competitions.

National teams have until June 1 to submit their final lists of 23-26 players, with three goalkeepers required. FIFA has announced that it will publish the final lists on June 2.

Players named in the final squad can be replaced with a player from the provisional release list only in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the kickoff of their team’s first match. Goalkeepers in the final squad may be replaced at any time during the tournament.

The expanded roster, introduced for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, allows for greater flexibility due to injuries and fatigue. The total number of footballers entering the tournament is 1,248, with each nation able to name 26 players in their squad list.

The tournament will consist of one group-stage round and four knockout rounds before the final. The stage-wise breakdown includes a round of 32, followed by a round of 16, four quarterfinals, two semifinals, and the final match.

Source: Al Jazeera