The squads of all 48 teams participating in the FIFA World Cup 2026 have been finalised, with a total of 1,248 players ready to compete.
The world’s biggest football event will kick off on June 12. Co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, this edition marks a historic milestone as the first-ever FIFA World Cup to feature 48 teams.
The 48 participating teams have been divided into 12 groups of four teams each, and a total of 104 matches will be played. The squads of all 48 teams have now been confirmed, making this edition the largest FIFA World Cup in history by participation.
Of the 1,248 players, 357 have previously played in a FIFA World Cup, while 891 will be making their debut. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Guillermo Ochoa are expected to play in their sixth World Cup.
Four nations, Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, will be participating in the World Cup for the first time.
The youngest player in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is 17 years old, while the oldest is 43. Seven players in the tournament are over 40 years old, and 22 players are under 20.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be the biggest edition in the tournament’s history, bringing several groundbreaking changes that will reshape football’s premier event. With an expanded format, more matches, and a record-breaking hosting arrangement, fans can expect a World Cup unlike any before.
The number of matches has also increased from 64 to 104, and a team will now need to play 8 matches instead of 7 to win the trophy. This edition will also feature four teams that have never participated in a FIFA World Cup before.
Another historic aspect of the tournament is that, for the first time in FIFA World Cup history, three countries will jointly host the event.
Travel across different time zones could be challenging for players. FIFA has divided the tournament into three time zones, and after the group stage, some teams may have to travel distances of up to 5,000 kilometres.
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