Among these, 891 players will be participating in the event for the first time, showcasing both tradition and innovation in the sport.
A total of 22 players under the age of 20 and seven players aged 40 or older at the tournament’s start could be in action, along with 22 returning FIFA World Cup champions.
In addition to the renowned talents returning to football’s top competition, this tournament introduces a fresh wave of players and nations to the international stage. Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will be experiencing the FIFA World Cup for the first time, illustrating how the expanded format is enhancing the representation of the global game.
One notable narrative is Uzbekistan’s groundbreaking debut on this world platform, with emerging talents like Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov fulfilling aspirations at home. Other promising players to watch include France’s Warren Zaïre-Emery, New Zealand’s Finn Surman, and Morocco’s Bilal El Khannouss, among numerous others. Meanwhile, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mexico’s goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa are gearing up for record-breaking sixth appearances at the FIFA World Cup.
The confirmed squad lists exemplify the global essence of contemporary football, featuring 449 different clubs from 71 nations (14 from the AFC, six from CAF, seven from Concacaf, eight from CONMEBOL, one from the OFC, and 35 from UEFA). These lists also reflect diverse national profiles, from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, whose squads consist nearly entirely of domestically based players (25 out of 26 in both instances), to countries like Cabo Verde, Congo DR, Côte d’Ivoire, Curaçao, Senegal, and Uruguay, which source their entire lineups from international leagues.
Regarding the coaching staff, Ghana’s Portuguese strategist Carlos Queiroz is making his fifth consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup, having previously managed Portugal in 2010 and Iran in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He becomes the second coach to participate in five successive tournaments, following Bora Milutinović (1986–2002).
(Edited by : Tarkesh Jha)
