• A strong Arab presence is expected at the tournament, with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq representing Asia, alongside Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia from Africa, highlighting the region’s growing impact on the global stage.

FIFA has set May 13, 2026 as the deadline for submitting provisional squad lists for the World Cup, allowing each team to name between 35 and 55 players to give coaches greater flexibility ahead of final selections.

Final squad deadline The governing body confirmed June 1, 2026 as the cut-off for final squads, which must be reduced to between 23 and 26 players before being officially approved ahead of the tournament.

Limited exceptions allowed Despite finalizing squads, changes will be permitted in exceptional cases such as serious injury or illness, provided they are made up to 24 hours before a team’s opening match.

Player release timeline Clubs have been instructed to release international players no later than May 25, 2026, ensuring they can join national team camps on schedule.

A historic expanded tournament The upcoming edition will feature 48 teams for the first time, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with record global viewership expected