The 2022 FIFA World Cup is just around the corner, with the first match to be played on Sunday, November 20.
Before the players take the pitch, however, all eyes will be on the managers as they select their squad for the tournament in Qatar. The first deadline for the extended preliminary team list was Friday, October 21.
The final 26-man roster will have to be selected from a list of 35-55 players submitted to FIFA. That deadline is set for November 14, which is the Monday before the World Cup begins.
Many teams have chosen not to announce their expansion squads to avoid the public debate surrounding the final November cuts and potential controversy surrounding special selections. While Japan and others have already announced their final teams, teams like the United States, Canada, and favorites Brazil have opted to wait until closer to the November deadline.
When will the World Cup rosters be announced?
All 32 participating nations have two key deadlines to meet in terms of sharing official team lists: October 21 and November 14.
Friday, October 21: Release list of 35-55 players (four GKs).
Sunday, November 13: Last home league game day before players are released.
Monday, November 14: The final 26-man squad will be presented to FIFA.
Tuesday, November 15: FIFA will publish the final 26-man squad list.
Each country is allowed to manage its own official announcements on its own timeline as long as they meet the official FIFA deadline to submit an extended-release list (35-55 players) by October 21, and then a final 26-man squad. From Monday, November 14th.
The USA’s 26-man roster will be announced at an event in New York City on November 9.
Expect most other nations to confirm their squads during the week of November 7, with some stragglers potentially waiting until the final weekend.
When is the final date for the World Cup squad?
A release list of 55 players had to be submitted to FIFA by Friday, October 21. FIFA does not make these lists public, and it is up to each nation to publish them if they wish.
All 32 teams must decide on their final 26-man squad for the World Cup by Monday, November 14. FIFA will publish these final lists before the start of the tournament.
Given the possibility of injury or COVID-19 infection, each team is able to replace players up to 24 hours before their first game.
However, any potential replacement would have to come from the nation’s initial release list of players which FIFA recently increased from 35 to 55.
When will each team announce its World Cup squad?
Nations have until November 14 to reveal their final squads, but several squads are being announced on various dates, listing the ones we know so far in the table below.
| Team | Date |
| Argentina | November 13 |
| Australia | November 8 |
| Belgium | November 11 |
| Brazil | November 7 |
| Cameroon | TBC |
| Canada | November 13 |
| Costa Rica | November 3 |
| Croatia | November 9 |
| Denmark | November 7 |
| Ecuador | November 14 |
| England | November 10 |
| France | November 9 |
| Germany | November 10 |
| Ghana | November 13 |
| Iran | TBC |
| Japan | November 1 |
| Mexico | November 13 |
| Morocco | November 14 |
| Netherlands | November 11 |
| Poland | November 10 |
| Portugal | November 10 |
| Qatar | TBC |
| Saudi Arabia | November 13 |
| Senegal | November 11 |
| Serbia | TBC |
| South Korea | November 12 |
| Spain | November 11 |
| Switzerland | TBC |
| Tunisia | November 14 |
| Uruguay | TBC |
| USA | November 9 |
| Wales | November 9 |
More: Complete FIFA World Cup schedule 2022
World Cup squad size in 2022?
No more than 26 players can be included in the 2022 World Cup squad.
This is an increase from the 23-player squad size for recent men’s World Cup tournaments and gives teams more flexibility as the World Cup takes place in the middle of an extra-crowded European club season. It also helps with potential COVID-19 cases.
Teams are now allowed 15 players on their bench to make a maximum of five substitutions during a match.