FIFA reveals deadlines for preliminary and final 26-player squads for 2026 World Cup
FIFA has been finalizing details for the 2026 World Cup in recent days, this time addressing how national teams will be required to submit their respective squads for the tournament. While reaffirming that the final roster will consist of 26 players, the governing body confirmed the deadlines for both the preliminary and final submissions.
First, national teams will be required to submit a preliminary list of up to 55 players by May 11. The expanded size of that list is intended to give coaching staffs a wide pool to draw from, accounting for potential injuries, dips in form or last-minute changes within the squad as the season winds down.
From that preliminary list, up to 29 names will then be cut, with the final 26-player roster due on May 30. Those are the players who will travel to North America to represent their respective nations throughout the tournament.
That gives coaching staffs just under three weeks between the preliminary and final submissions to make their last adjustments, factoring in player fitness and form heading into the competition. It is worth noting that most domestic leagues will have concluded by that point, with the one major exception being the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League final, which is scheduled to be played in Budapest on that same date, May 30.
The World Cup will kick off with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11. In the roughly two weeks between the final roster deadline and the start of the tournament, most national teams are expected to arrange warm-up friendlies to put the finishing touches on their preparation before beginning their campaigns in North America.
No extended 30-player list for 2026 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup will make history not only as the first edition hosted across three different countries, but also as the first to feature 48 national teams. That expansion from the previous field of 32 has added an extra round to the knockout stage, meaning teams will now need to win eight matches instead of seven to lift soccer’s most coveted trophy.
With the addition of a Round of 32 and more games to be played, many federations had anticipated that squad sizes would be expanded further, as happened ahead of Qatar 2022 when rosters grew from 23 to 26 players, with some expecting a further increase to 30 for 2026. However, with this announcement, FIFA has stood firm on the position it first laid out in December 2025, confirming that squads will remain capped at 26 players.