The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar.© AFP
FIFA will allow countries to select up to 26 players for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, increasing the maximum team size by three for the tournament from November 21 to December 18. “The number of players to be included on the final list has been increased to a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 26,” FIFA said in a statement. The World Football governing body said the decision to expand the rosters was made “given the need to maintain additional flexibility due to the unique timing” of this year’s competition, which will interrupt the European club season.
FIFA also considered the “wider context of the disruptive effects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on squads before and during tournaments”.
UEFA adopted similar changes for Euro 2020 last year, in response to a demand from coaches who feared they could lose players due to the coronavirus.
Since the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, national teams had selected 23 players for the World Cup and European Championship.
Before that, only 22 players were allowed in each squad at international tournaments.
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Last week, the IFAB football regulations approved the permanent use of five substitutes for all top-level matches and the teams can now name 15 substitutes on a team sheet instead of 12.
“No more than 26 people (maximum 15 substitutes and 11 team officials – one of these officials must be the team doctor) are allowed to sit on the team bench during World Cup matches,” FIFA said on Thursday.
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