Over 1200 players in action at first ever 48-team FIFA World Cup

A total of 1,248 players will be available to take to the pitch for 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup, making it the biggest global edition of the FIFA's showpiece event.

With only nine days before kick-off, FIFA announced that the final squad lists for all the competing teams across 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Argentina talisman Lionel Messi, Portugal spearhead Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexico’s trusted glovesman Guillermo Ochoa were the headline grabbers when the final list of squads were announced as they are set for historic sixth World Cup campaigns.

357 players have at least been part squads of one previous edition of the tournament while 891 players will play for the first time.

Over 25 years separate the oldest player (Scotland’s Craig Gordon at 43 years and 162 days old) from the youngest (Mexico’s Gilberto Mora at 17 years and 240 days old) in a striking generational breadth while a total of 22 players under 20 years old and seven players aged 40 or above at the start of the tournament could feature, whilst 22 FIFA World Cup winners are returning to the global stage.

Players of 449 different clubs from 71 countries represented (14 from the AFC region, six from CAF, seven from Concacaf, eight from CONMEBOL, one from the OFC, and 35 from UEFA) will be in actioning a reflection of the global nature of the game.