The deadline for the national teams' rosters in the World Cup.

The official website of the International Football Federation (FIFA) revealed today, Wednesday, all the information related to the rosters of the teams participating in the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Selecting the final roster for the World Cup is always a complex task, as the coaching staff of the qualified teams works tirelessly during the weeks and months leading up to the tournament to choose the best group of players capable of helping their teams perform at the highest possible level.

In the upcoming World Cup edition, each team will be allowed to include 26 players in their roster, the same number that was approved in the previous edition held in Qatar in 2022.

FIFA intends to announce the official final rosters consisting of 26 players for the 48 teams participating in the World Cup on June 2nd.

FIFA indicated that the participating federations first provide it with a preliminary list of between 35 and 55 players, with four of them being goalkeepers, adding that this temporary list will be used for internal purposes only and will not be published.

Regarding the final roster, the participating federations send it to FIFA, and it includes between 23 and 26 players (with at least three of them being goalkeepers).

FIFA revealed that no player in the final roster can be replaced except with a player from the preliminary list, and only in the case of serious injury or severe illness, to be done no later than 24 hours before the team's first match in the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA added that a goalkeeper from the final roster can be replaced by another goalkeeper from the preliminary list in the case of serious injury or severe illness, at any time during the tournament.

The international federation also clarified that national teams are allowed to announce their rosters at any time, but they are not considered official until approved by FIFA on June 2nd.

Since the first World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay until the 1998 edition in France, teams were allowed to register 22 players in the final rosters, and in the 2002 South Korea and Japan edition, the number was raised to 23 players, which continued until the Qatar 2022 World Cup when the rosters were expanded to 26 players.

To ensure players join their teams in a timely manner before the start of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has set the following dates:

A) The mandatory release period for players to participate in the 2026 World Cup begins on May 25, the day after their last official match with their clubs.