The final squads for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have now been confirmed, with a total of 1,248 players representing 48 nations at the tournament.
The competition will kick off on 11 June and conclude on 19 July 2026, taking place across three host nations: Canada, Mexico and the United States. The expanded tournament will feature 104 matches.Following the submission of final squad lists on 1 June, 357 players are returning for another World Cup appearance, while 891 players will experience football’s biggest tournament for the very first time.
A remarkable age gap of 25 years separates the oldest and youngest players in the competition. Scotland’s veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon is the oldest participant at 43 years and 162 days, while Mexico’s teenage sensation Gilberto Mora is the youngest at 17 years and 240 days.A total of 22 players under the age of 20 and seven players aged 40 or above will take part in the tournament. Meanwhile, 22 former World Cup winners are included in the squads.
Four nations will make their FIFA World Cup debut: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Their qualification was made possible by the expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams.Among the young talents expected to attract attention are Abdukodir Khusanov, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Finn Surman and Bilal El Khannouss.
History will be made by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa, who are all set to appear at a sixth FIFA World Cup a feat never previously achieved by any player.The 1,248 players selected for the tournament currently play for 449 clubs across 71 different countries, highlighting the global nature of modern football.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia have the highest number of players based in their domestic leagues, with 25 of their 26-man squads playing club football at home.Meanwhile, nations such as Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Curaçao, Senegal and Uruguay boast squads whose players are spread across nearly every continent.
Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, currently in charge of Ghana, is set to coach at his fifth consecutive World Cup. He managed Portugal in 2010 before leading Iran in 2014, 2018 and 2022. This makes him only the second coach to oversee five successive World Cups, following Bora Milutinović.
Under FIFA regulations, players named in the final squads may still be replaced in the event of serious injury or illness up to 24 hours before their team’s opening match, subject to FIFA approval.Guillermo Ochoa, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are on the verge of making history by becoming the first players ever to feature in six FIFA World Cup tournaments.
