The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest yet, with 48 teams and 1,248 players set to compete across the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July. All squads have now been confirmed, and the tournament promises to be a landmark for veteran stars, with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manuel Neuer all selected for a record sixth World Cup.
Argentina's Messi will equal the record for most appearances, while Portugal's Ronaldo also makes his sixth squad. Germany's Neuer, 40, has come out of retirement to be first-choice goalkeeper, joining Bosnia's Edin Dzeko and Croatia's Luka Modric in the 40-plus club. Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa will play at his sixth World Cup, and South Korea captain Son Heung-min his fourth.
“All 48 squads confirmed for record 48-team 2026 World Cup; Messi, Ronaldo and Neuer target sixth appearance.”
Among the headline inclusions, Brazil named Neymar in their 26-man squad, while France bring Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. Norway's Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard lead their squad, and Sweden have Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. England will be without Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who all miss the tournament. Spain have included the injured Lamine Yamal but no Real Madrid players.
Several nations will make history: Curacao, the smallest country in the tournament, will play their first World Cup, as will Jordan. Canada have named what they call their 'best ever' squad, led by Alphonso Davies. The United States have Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson. Saudi Arabia have only one overseas-based player, Abdulhamid, while Australia have uncapped Kusini Yengi and Cristian Volpato.
There were notable omissions: Ivory Coast left out Wilfried Zaha, Tunisia dropped Ferjani Sassi, Uruguay omitted veteran Luis Suarez despite including Manchester United's Manuel Ugarte, and Belgium selected Romelu Lukaku despite reports he is 'out of shape'. Morocco included Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi despite injury.
The tournament will open with three opening ceremonies, though details on performers are yet to be confirmed. Scotland will play their first World Cup match since 1998, with the BBC set to broadcast the game. All 48 nations have now named their 26-man squads, setting the stage for a month of football that begins in just days.