In the next forty-eight hours, every World Cup federation has to send FIFA a sealed list of twenty-six names. After that the squad is the squad — with two narrow exceptions for injury. Here is what the rule actually says, why some teams announce two weeks early, and what happens if a star pulls his hamstring on June 9.
The rule in one paragraph
Each of the 48 federations may register a final squad of 26 players, including a minimum of three goalkeepers, with FIFA. The deadline for submission is June 1. Official announcement of the full rosters across the tournament is June 2, the day before the final pre- tournament press conferences begin. From the deadline onwards no new names can be added unless a registered player is officially ruled out by injury.
Why 26 and not 23 anymore
FIFA expanded the squad size to 26 starting at the 2022 World Cup and kept it for 2026. The original 23 number had been the standard for two decades and was built around a different tournament — fewer matches, less travel, and lower expectations on the depth of bench rotations. With a 48-team format that now runs from June 11 through July 19, a longer tournament with deeper knockout rounds, the extra three roster spots are about workload management as much as tactical flexibility.
Practically that means coaches can carry an additional centre back, another midfielder, and a third striker that they might have left off a 23-man list. Less talked about: the extra slots are also used for younger players coaches want to expose to the environment without expecting them to play.
The squad timeline, step by step
The formal process every federation follows looks like this:
- Preliminary list (up to 55 players). Submitted to FIFA weeks before the deadline. This is the working pool from which the final 26 will be drawn. Players who are not on the preliminary list cannot be added later.
- Pre-tournament camp. Held in the host country or close to it, usually starting in late May. Coaches use the camp to run final fitness tests, see medical staff verdicts in person, and make their cuts.
- The cut. Each federation trims to 26. Some announce as soon as they decide; some hold the names until FIFA officially publishes.
- FIFA deadline (June 1). Sealed lists in. Official global announcement on June 2.
What can still change after June 1
Two exceptions. Both involve injury, and both have a deadline tied to the team's first match:
First, before the team's opening fixture, any registered player who is ruled out by injury can be replaced. The replacement does not have to come from the original preliminary list, which is a slight loosening from previous tournaments. The team doctor's medical report has to be approved by FIFA.
Second, during the tournament a goalkeeper who is ruled out by injury can be replaced even after the first match. This is the only mid-tournament replacement permitted. Outfield players who pick up tournament-ending injuries during the group stage are not replaced — the team simply continues with 25.
Why teams announce early
On paper there is no advantage to revealing your squad three days before the FIFA deadline. In practice federations do it for three reasons:
- Media management. Get the disappointment cycle out of the way during a quiet news week. Far better than the squad announcement competing with the tournament opener for headlines.
- Sponsorship and federation revenue. Kit launches, shirt-number sales, and federation-led commercial pushes work better with a named squad to attach them to.
- Camp focus. Once the cut is public, the pre-tournament camp belongs only to the players who are going. Atmosphere settles, training intensity changes.
That is why Brazil and Morocco are already public, with Canada, Egypt and others joining them around this weekend. Holdouts like the Czech Republic and Iran will run right up to the deadline.
The shirt-number wrinkle
Squad numbers are assigned by the federation and locked in once submitted. Players cannot swap numbers mid-tournament. The number one is by tradition reserved for the first-choice goalkeeper, but there is no rule that forces it.
The reason this matters is that it is one of the only public signals about a coach's planned starting XI. A captain wearing the number ten, a young striker getting number nine — these are choices that telegraph intent before any team sheet is announced.
How the rules shape what you'll see
The deeper squad makes rotation between the group stage and Round of 32 more aggressive than it was at the 2018 or 2022 tournaments. Expect coaches to rest first-choice midfielders in the third group game if their team has already clinched advancement. Expect more minutes for bench strikers in the final twenty minutes of group matches when the legs of starters are the only currency that matters.
Track every squad announcement as it lands by checking the soccer page on Scorelisto. For background on the new format the rosters were built around, read our explainer over on the blog.
FAQ
When is the FIFA squad deadline? June 1, 2026. Official global announcement of all 48 rosters follows on June 2.
Can a player be added after June 1? Only as an injury replacement, and only if a registered player has been ruled out with FIFA-approved medical documentation.
What happens if a player is injured mid-tournament? For outfield players, nothing — the team plays on with 25. For goalkeepers there is a special exception allowing a mid-tournament replacement.
How many goalkeepers must each squad include? At least three, out of the 26 total.
Are shirt numbers locked once submitted? Yes. No swaps allowed once FIFA receives the official list.