FIFA World Cup 2026, set to take place across Canada, Mexico and the United States from 11 June to 19 July, will feature an expanded format with 48 national teams.
Each participating nation will be required to register a squad of up to 26 players, including three goalkeepers.
Only players named in the final squad will be eligible to take part in the tournament.
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Provisional list
Teams must first submit a provisional squad list of between 35 and 55 players to FIFA by 11 May 2026 – one month prior to the opening match of the tournament.
These preliminary lists will not be made public.
From this extended group, nations will then finalise their squads, submitting a list of between 23 and 26 players by 1 June – exactly 10 days before the tournament kicks off.
FIFA regulations also allow for last-minute changes in the event of injury or illness.
Any player ruled out before their team’s first match can be replaced up to 24 hours before kick-off, provided the injury is verified by both the team doctor and FIFA’s General Medical Officer.
Replacement players are not restricted to the provisional list.
Record African nations
Player details – including positions, age, international caps and goals – will be based on official squad submissions.
Ages will be calculated as of the tournament’s opening day (11 June), while club affiliations will reflect the last team each player represented in a competitive match prior to the competition.
The expanded squad system is expected to give teams greater flexibility and depth as they prepare for the largest World Cup in history.
With FIFA World Cup 2026 featuring 48 teams for the first time, the top two sides in each group plus the eight best third-placed teams will progress to the Round of 32.
The tournament will also feature a record 10 African nations.
Bafana Bafana’s Group A Fixtures (SA time)
- Thursday, 11 June: Mexico vs South Africa, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City – 21:00
- Thursday, 18 June: Czech Republic vs South Africa, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta – 18:00
- Thursday, 25 June: South Africa vs South Korea, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe – 03:00
Other Group A matches:
- Friday, 12 June: South Korea vs Czech Republic – 04:00
- Friday, 19 June: Mexico vs South Korea – 03:00
- Thursday, 25 June: Czech Republic vs Mexico – 03:00
FIFA World Cup 2026 Groups
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
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