FIFA confirms 1,248 players as 48-team 2026 World Cup squads named | OneFootball

FIFA confirmed that the final 26-player squads for all 48 nations are in, with nine days to go before kick-off in Canada, Mexico and the United States. In total, 1,248 players will contest a record 104 matches.

A trio of greats enter rarefied company. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa are set for a sixth World Cup, an outright record, while 22 past winners are back chasing the trophy again.

Experience meets exuberance. Scotland’s Craig Gordon, 43, is the oldest named, while Mexico’s Gilberto Mora, 17, headlines a cohort of 22 under-20s alongside established talents Warren Zaïre-Emery with France and Bilal El Khannouss with Morocco.

The expanded field brings first-time finalists from Cabo Verde, Curasao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, the latter led by Manchester City prospect Abdukodir Khusanov. Players come from 449 clubs in 71 countries.

Approaches vary sharply. Qatar and Saudi Arabia have 25 of 26 home-based, whereas Uruguay, Ivory Coast and Curasao are entirely foreign-based.

History will also be made on the touchline as Carlos Queiroz, in charge of Ghana, will equal Bora Milutinović by coaching at a fifth consecutive tournament. Squads were lodged on Monday 1 June and are largely locked, with changes permitted only for serious injury or illness up to 24 hours before each team’s first match.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo