FIFA has ratified 26-man squads for this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The move is in relation with recent national tournaments and is an expansion on the 23-man squads that had been used ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic.
FIFA also stated up to 15 substitutes can be named for a match, which means no player misses out – something England head coach Gareth Southgate had asked.
“I think everybody has to be available for all the games,” he stated in April.
“If the squads are going to be bigger then it needs to be a situation where everybody is able to change on a matchday”, Southgate further said.
The deadline for all 32 countries competing to submit their final squads is 20th of October – 30 days ahead of the first match between Senegal and the Netherlands at the Al Thumama Stadium.
FIFA also stated that no more than 26 people – up to 15 substitutes and 11 team officials, of which 1 must be the team doctor – will be permitted to sit on the bench.
