FIFA approves final lists for the 2026 U.S. World Cup
The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) announced on Tuesday the completion of the final lists of the teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, which will kick off on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
"With 48 teams and 1,248 players participating in 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the United States, this edition represents a watershed moment in the history of world football, opening the door to the participation of more countries, players and their fans than ever before," FIFA said on its website.
"The confirmed team lists confirm the enormity and enduring appeal of the tournament, with 357 players returning after participating in the World Cup at least once before."
"Some 891 players are set to compete for the first time, highlighting the continuity and renewal of the game globally."
25 years between the oldest and youngest player
As the lists were completed, there were several phenomena, most notably the great generational disparity, with more than 25 years separating the oldest player (Scotland's Craig Gordon, 43 years and 162 days) from the youngest (Mexico's Gilberto Mora, 17 years and 240 days).
A total of 22 players under the age of 20 and seven players aged 40 or over are expected to take part when the tournament kicks off, while 22 FIFA World Cup winners will return to the world stage.
As well as the return of stars to the most important tournament in football, the tournament also shines a light on a new generation of players and teams.
3 teams participating for the first time
Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan are gearing up for the World Cup for the first time, highlighting how the expanded system is making the tournament more representative of the global game.
Other notable players of the next generation include France's Warren Zaire-Emery, New Zealand's Finn Surman, Morocco's Bilal Khannous, and many others.
Meanwhile, Argentina's Lionel Messi, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and legendary Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa are all set to make a record World Cup appearance for the sixth time.
The players participating are distributed among 449 different clubs from 71 countries (14 clubs from the AFC region, 6 from the African Football Confederation, seven from CONCACAF, eight from the South American Football Confederation, one from the Oceania Football Confederation, and 35 from the European Football Confederation).
25 local players from Saudi Arabia
The rosters also show a variation in the characteristics of national teams, from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, whose teams are almost entirely made up of local players (25 out of 26 in both cases), to other teams, such as Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Senegal and Uruguay, which attract players entirely from foreign leagues.
When it comes to who manages the squads, Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz is coaching at the World Cup for the fifth time in a row, having led Portugal in 2010 and Iran in 2014, 2018 and 2022. He is only the second coach to participate in five consecutive tournaments, after Serbia's Bora Milutinovic (1986-2002).
According to the 2026 World Cup regulations, substitutions are only allowed in the event of serious injury or illness, up to 24 hours before the start of the team's first match, unless FIFA agrees otherwise.
New Amendments to Arbitration
The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA), in cooperation with the Council (IFAB), has approved strict refereeing amendments for the 2026 World Cup that aim to speed up play, combat wasting time and enforce discipline.
The measures include a 5-second countdown for contact shots and goal kicks, obliging the substitute player to leave within 10 seconds, forcing the injured player receiving treatment to stay out of the field for a minute, and prohibiting tactical timeouts when guards are injured.
In terms of penalties, any player who covers his mouth during altercations to prevent insults, or leaves the field in protest, with the withdrawing team considered a loser (3-0), and the discussion will be limited to the referee of the team, and the powers of the VAR technique have been expanded to include the review of the second warning, correction of mistaken identity, incorrect corner kicks, and infractions inside the box before execution.
Mandatory 3-minute wetting periods were introduced in each half, and warnings from qualifiers were abolished, with yellow cards zeroed after the group stage and quarter-finals to ensure the participation of the stars.