So when do teams announce their squads?
The 2022 World Cup kicks in less than two weeks, with hosts Qatar playing Ecuador on Sunday, November 20. Managers must name their squads before the tournament begins and time is running out to do so — tournament organisers FIFA has set the 32 participating teams a deadline of Monday, November 14 to submit their final selections. That is only six days before the tournament begins. World Cups usually feature 23-man squads, but like the rearranged 2020 European Championship, coaches will be allowed to name 26 players.
What if players get injured?
In this World Cup — played in the middle of European domestic seasons because of heat considerations in Qatar in the summer — there is a gap of only one week between players being released by clubs and participating in the opening group game. This is significantly less of a gap than for previous tournaments, which usually take place after a break of around three weeks. As a consequence, FIFA has ruled that teams can replace players who are unavailable due to either COVID-19 or injury up to 24 hours before their first match.
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Which teams have already named their squads?
Two teams could not wait to announce their squads.
The first of these was Japan, whose head coach Hajime Moriyasu named his 26-man squad on November 1. It included Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, but did not feature Celtic duo Kyogo Furuhashi or Reo Hatate. It also has space for several national-team stalwarts, including former Southampton defender Maya Yoshida and ex-Inter Milan full-back Yuto Nagatomo, who have 258 caps for their country between them.
Costa Rica named their squad on November 3, led by Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas. It also includes former Premier League players Bryan Oviedo, Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell. All four were members of the 2014 squad that reached the quarter-finals in Brazil, only losing to the Netherlands on penalties. Brazil head coach
Tite, who will step down after the tournament, named his picks on November 7. A squad headlined by Neymar included Arsenal pair Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, plus Tottenham’s Richarlison, but Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino missed the cut.
Denmark confirmed 21 of their 26 players on the same day, with Christian Eriksen returning to major tournament action just 18 months after his cardiac arrest. When will other teams name their squads? A busy — and, for players, anxious — week continues.
Australia’s squad will be revealed on November 8 — 16 of their players released a public statement criticising Qatar’s human rights record last week.
World Cup squad announcement dates
Australia Tuesday November 8
Switzerland Wednesday November 9 (10am GMT)
Wales Wednesday November 9 (7pm GMT)
Croatia Wednesday November 9
France Wednesday November 9
United States Wednesday November 9 (10pm GMT)
England Thursday November 10 (2pm GMT)
Portugal Thursday November 10 (4.30pm GMT)
Belgium Thursday November 10
Germany Thursday November 10
Poland Thursday November 10
Netherlands Friday November 11
Spain Friday November 11
South Korea Saturday November 12
Argentina Monday November 14