Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will both make history at this summer's World Cup by appearing at a record sixth tournament, as the 48 competing nations confirmed their 26-man squads on Tuesday.
The 2026 tournament, the biggest yet with 48 teams, runs from 11 June to 19 July across the US, Canada and Mexico. All 1,248 players have now been named, with several squads featuring remarkable stories.
“All 48 squads confirmed for the 2026 World Cup, with Ronaldo and Messi set for record sixth appearances.”
Portugal captain Ronaldo, 41, is set for his sixth World Cup after being included in the squad, matching Messi who will also play in his sixth for Argentina. At 40, Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer came out of retirement to be named as first-choice keeper, while Bosnia-Herzegovina's Edin Dzeko, 40, joins the list of World Cup 40-year-olds.
England will be without Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold after Thomas Tuchel left them out of the squad. Brazil included Neymar despite injury concerns, and Morocco called up Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi despite his injury. Mexico selected veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa for his sixth World Cup.
Several nations will make their tournament debuts. Curacao, the smallest nation in the field, named their first-ever World Cup squad, while Jordan also debut after qualifying for the first time. Cape Verde and Uzbekistan are also first-time participants.
Other notable selections: South Korea captain Son Heung-min was picked for his fourth World Cup, Switzerland's Granit Xhaka for his fourth, and Croatia's Luka Modric, 40, continues his remarkable career. France named Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, while Spain included the injured Lamine Yamal but no Real Madrid players.
The tournament opens on 11 June when the United States face an as-yet-unknown opponent. With 48 teams, the World Cup will last 39 days, culminating in the final on 19 July.