Modric, Ronaldo, Neuer: 22 WC2026 squads locked before the June 2 deadline

Twenty-two of the 48 [CL-HIS-002] WC2026 [CL-CTX-003] federations have officially announced their final 26-man squads as of 2026-05-25 [CL-CTX-003]. Twenty-three more are expected before the FIFA [CL-CTX-002] submission deadline of 2026-06-02 [CL-CTX-002]. The tournament opens 2026-06-11 [CL-FIX-001] when Mexico [CL-FIX-001] hosts South Africa [CL-FIX-001] at Estadio Azteca [CL-FIX-001] in Mexico City [CL-FIX-001].

UEFA [CL-CTX-003] leads the locked board

Eleven [CL-CTX-003] of the 22 [CL-CTX-003] locked squads are European [CL-CTX-003]. France [CL-ROS-003] announced first among the heavyweights on 2026-05-14 [CL-ROS-003]; per ESPN [CL-ROS-003], Didier Deschamps [CL-ROS-003] left Eduardo Camavinga [CL-ROS-003] and Randal Kolo Muani [CL-ROS-003] off the 26 [CL-ROS-003]. Germany [CL-ROS-007] followed on 2026-05-21 [CL-ROS-007], where per ESPN [CL-ROS-007] coach Julian Nagelsmann [CL-ROS-007] coaxed 40-year-old Manuel Neuer [CL-ROS-007] out of retirement.

ESPN [CL-DEC-001] further reports that the Neuer [CL-DEC-001] recall demotes Oliver Baumann [CL-DEC-001], who had been told he would be the starting goalkeeper at WC2026 [CL-DEC-001]. Carry this one as ESPN [CL-DEC-001] reporting rather than confirmed federation language.

England [CL-ROS-008] arrived on 2026-05-22 [CL-ROS-008] under Thomas Tuchel [CL-ROS-008] with Harry Kane [CL-ROS-008] as captain. Per ESPN [CL-DEC-002], Tuchel [CL-DEC-002] left Phil Foden [CL-DEC-002], Cole Palmer [CL-DEC-002], Harry Maguire [CL-DEC-002], Morgan Gibbs-White [CL-DEC-002], and Lewis Hall [CL-DEC-002] off the plane. Kane [CL-QUO-001], per ESPN [CL-QUO-001], said he was "extremely proud to be going to another World Cup" [CL-QUO-001].

Portugal [CL-ROS-011] locked its list on 2026-05-19 [CL-ROS-011] under Roberto Martinez [CL-ROS-011] and included Cristiano Ronaldo [CL-ROS-011] for his sixth World Cup [CL-HIS-003]. The selection puts Ronaldo [CL-HIS-003] at six [CL-HIS-003] tournaments alongside Lionel Messi [CL-HIS-003] once Argentina's [CL-HIS-003] final 26 [CL-HIS-003] confirms. Croatia [CL-ROS-012] locked on 2026-05-18 [CL-ROS-012] with Luka Modric [CL-ROS-012] under Zlatko Dalic [CL-ROS-012]; that sends Modric [CL-HIS-004] to his fifth World Cup [CL-HIS-004] (Croatia [CL-HIS-004] did not qualify in 2010 [CL-HIS-004]).

The rest of UEFA's [CL-CTX-003] locked board: Belgium [CL-ROS-004] on 2026-05-15 [CL-ROS-004]; Sweden [CL-ROS-002] on 2026-05-12 [CL-ROS-002]; Bosnia and Herzegovina [CL-ROS-001] on 2026-05-11 [CL-ROS-001]; Switzerland [CL-ROS-006] under Murat Yakin [CL-ROS-006] on 2026-05-20 [CL-ROS-006]; Scotland [CL-ROS-005] under Steve Clarke [CL-ROS-005] on 2026-05-19 [CL-ROS-005]; Austria [CL-ROS-010] under Ralf Rangnick [CL-ROS-010] on 2026-05-19 [CL-ROS-010]; Norway [CL-ROS-009] under Stale Solbakken [CL-ROS-009] on 2026-05-22 [CL-ROS-009].

CONMEBOL [CL-ROS-013]: one [CL-ROS-013] locked, the champion still pending

Brazil [CL-ROS-013] is CONMEBOL's [CL-ROS-013] only locked squad. Carlo Ancelotti [CL-ROS-013] announced his 26 [CL-ROS-013] on 2026-05-18 [CL-ROS-013] and included Neymar [CL-ROS-013] for his fourth World Cup [CL-HIS-005]. Per ESPN [CL-DEC-003], Ancelotti [CL-DEC-003] left Joao Pedro [CL-DEC-003] off the list despite the forward being named Chelsea's [CL-DEC-003] Player of the Season [CL-DEC-003]; per ESPN [CL-QUO-002], Ancelotti [CL-QUO-002] said "given the season he had in Europe, he probably deserved to be on this list" [CL-QUO-002].

Argentina [CL-ROS-014] is the defending champion [CL-ROS-014] and is not yet locked. Lionel Scaloni [CL-ROS-014] named a 55-player [CL-ROS-014] preliminary squad on 2026-05-11 [CL-ROS-014]; the final 26 [CL-ROS-014] is due before 2026-06-02 [CL-CTX-002]. Colombia [CL-CTX-004], Uruguay [CL-CTX-004], Paraguay [CL-CTX-004], and Ecuador [CL-CTX-004] are all still pending in the rolling window [CL-CTX-004].

CONCACAF [CL-CTX-003]: three [CL-CTX-003] locked, USMNT [CL-ROS-017] reported

Three CONCACAF [CL-CTX-003] teams are locked: Haiti [CL-ROS-015] on 2026-05-15 [CL-ROS-015] (its second-ever men's World Cup appearance after 1974 [CL-ROS-015]); Curacao [CL-ROS-016] on 2026-05-18 [CL-ROS-016] under Dick Advocaat [CL-ROS-016] for the federation's first-ever men's World Cup [CL-ROS-016]; and — pending official confirmation — the USMNT [CL-ROS-017]. The USMNT [CL-ROS-017] roster was reported via leak on 2026-05-23 [CL-ROS-017], with USSF [CL-ROS-017] scheduled to unveil officially on 2026-05-26 [CL-ROS-017] in New York City [CL-ROS-017].

Per ESPN's [CL-DEC-004] reporting on the leaked roster, Mauricio Pochettino [CL-DEC-004] kept Gio Reyna [CL-DEC-004] and Joe Scally [CL-DEC-004] and omitted Tanner Tessmann [CL-DEC-004]. The USMNT [CL-FIX-002] opens against Paraguay [CL-FIX-002] on 2026-06-12 [CL-FIX-002] at SoFi Stadium [CL-FIX-002] in Inglewood [CL-FIX-002], California [CL-FIX-002].

CAF [CL-CTX-003], AFC [CL-CTX-003], OFC [CL-CTX-003]

Four CAF [CL-CTX-003] teams are locked: Ivory Coast [CL-ROS-018] on 2026-05-15 [CL-ROS-018]; Tunisia [CL-ROS-019] on 2026-05-15 [CL-ROS-019]; DR Congo [CL-ROS-021] on 2026-05-18 [CL-ROS-021] under Sebastien Desabre [CL-ROS-021]; and Cape Verde [CL-ROS-020] on 2026-05-19 [CL-ROS-020] under Bubista [CL-ROS-020] for the federation's first-ever men's World Cup [CL-ROS-020]. Senegal [CL-ROS-022] sits at provisional 28 [CL-ROS-022] — per ESPN [CL-ROS-022], coach Pape Thiaw [CL-ROS-022] included injured captain Kalidou Koulibaly [CL-ROS-022]. Per ESPN [CL-QUO-003], Thiaw [CL-QUO-003] called Koulibaly [CL-QUO-003] "in the process of a positive rehabilitation and, with three weeks to go, I think he'll be really ready" [CL-QUO-003].

AFC [CL-CTX-003] has two locked: South Korea [CL-ROS-023] on 2026-05-16 [CL-ROS-023]; and Japan [CL-ROS-024] on 2026-05-15 [CL-ROS-024] under Hajime Moriyasu [CL-ROS-024] with captain Wataru Endo [CL-ROS-024]. Per ESPN [CL-DEC-005], Moriyasu [CL-DEC-005] ruled Kaoru Mitoma [CL-DEC-005] out on medical grounds and recalled Takehiro Tomiyasu [CL-DEC-005]. Qatar [CL-ROS-025] sits at provisional 34 [CL-ROS-025] and must trim before 2026-06-02 [CL-CTX-002]. OFC's [CL-CTX-003] one [CL-CTX-003] locked entry is New Zealand [CL-ROS-026] on 2026-05-14 [CL-ROS-026] under Darren Bazeley [CL-ROS-026] with captain Chris Wood [CL-ROS-026].

What [CL-CTX-004] to watch through the deadline

Twenty-three [CL-CTX-004] federations remain in the rolling window: Spain [CL-CTX-004], Mexico [CL-CTX-004], Argentina [CL-CTX-004], Colombia [CL-CTX-004], Netherlands [CL-CTX-004], Morocco [CL-CTX-004], Canada [CL-CTX-004]; Egypt [CL-CTX-004], Paraguay [CL-CTX-004], Uruguay [CL-CTX-004], Ecuador [CL-CTX-004], Saudi Arabia [CL-CTX-004], Iran [CL-CTX-004], Ghana [CL-CTX-004]; Panama [CL-CTX-004], Algeria [CL-CTX-004], Australia [CL-CTX-004], Turkey [CL-CTX-004], Jordan [CL-CTX-004], Czech Republic [CL-CTX-004]; Iraq [CL-CTX-004], South Africa [CL-CTX-004], Uzbekistan [CL-CTX-004].

Argentina's [CL-ROS-014] final 26 [CL-ROS-014] carries the Messi-Ronaldo [CL-HIS-003] six [CL-HIS-003] tournaments line. Qatar [CL-ROS-025] and Senegal [CL-ROS-022] still have to cut. The final is 2026-07-19 [CL-CTX-001] at MetLife Stadium [CL-CTX-001] in East Rutherford [CL-CTX-001], New Jersey [CL-CTX-001]. Track your country's squad as it lands on mundialplayertracker.com.

Published: May 25, 2026