Qatar 2022: How many players make a FIFA World Cup squad?

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has brought many historic changes. For example, it's the first edition of the tournament played during the last months of the year and it's also the first one hosted by an Arab country. That's why this is simply just not your regular World Cup.

We also have to emphasize that Qatar 2022 is a World Cup which comes after a terrible pandemic. That situation transformed many aspects of soccer. Maybe the biggest one of them was the rule about the five substitutions during a game. What started as a temporary trial is something now permanently official with the restriction of three slots for substitutions plus halftime. 

So, considering this scenario, the World Cup in Qatar forced a major change for each manager of the 32 qualified countries: the number of players permitted in the final roster. In this article, you will find out the important reasons which led to that modification and the new amount of players allowed for each National Team.

How many players are on a 2022 World Cup roster?

In June of 2022, the Bureau of FIFA Council approved an increase to 26 players for every team playing at the World Cup in Qatar. Prior to that change, the regular number had been 23 in the last few editions. The main arguments for FIFA's decision were the dates of the tournament (November-December) and the effects of the pandemic. 

"Given the need to retain additional flexibility due to the unique timing of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in the global calendar, as well as the broader context of the disruptive effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on squads before and during tournaments, the Bureau has decided the following: the number of players to be included on the final list has been increased to at least 23 and a maximum of 26", was part of FIFA's message after the decision.

On that meeting, FIFA also confirmed that the final day for players to participate with their clubs would be November 13 and the managers had to deliver their final lists before November 14. In another important detail, the council established that "no more than 26 people (up to 15 substitutes and 11 team officials – including the team doctor) will be allowed to sit on the team bench."