2022 World Cup squads are just around the corner with the first-ever winter World Cup set for November.
As ever, anticipation is high for who has made the plane for the 32 qualified nations, with the mid-season tournament providing extra drama. Domestic football takes a short break during the colder months for the first-ever Middle Eastern edition of the World Cup, meaning that form going into the autumn could be key for players hoping to have a seat to Qatar.
But with club football ending just a week before the tournament begins, this isn't like a usual season, where players' fates are decided in the final throws of a campaign…
When will the 2022 World Cup squads be announced?
Expect to see most announcements between Monday, November 7 and Friday, November 18.
Different nations will of course announce their selections at different times and the World Cup taking place midseason, of course, means that there will be different approaches to calling up players. All 55-man longlists are in – over the fortnight before the tournament, we should every team whittle theirs down, while injuries and absences will play a part in squad changes.
Japan were the first team to announce their final World Cup squad on November 1.
When will the England squad be announced for the 2022 World Cup?
England are expected to announce their squad ahead of the final weekend of Premier League fixtures, which begin on Saturday, November 12.
Gareth Southgate will name the final 26 players he is set to take to Qatar, shortening a 55-man longlist he was asked to submit to FIFA last month.
When is the official deadline for World Cup 2022 squads to be finalised?
FIFA leave the official paperwork surprisingly late. All squads have to be officially submitted by November 13.
Though most squads will be announced around a month before the tournament begins, often, there will be drop-outs due to injury – hence why provisional squads are named before coaches whittle down their rosters further.
Are managers allowed to call up replacement players during the World Cup?
Not ordinarily, no – and there are no announcements to suggest otherwise this time around.
During Euro 2020, head coaches were permitted to replace goalkeepers who dropped out of the tournament, due to COVID-19. FIFA have not stated whether this rule will be enforced during the Qatar World Cup.
How many players will be in each World Cup squad?
For the first time ever, World Cup squads have been expanded to include 26 players.
This was debuted at the Copa America and Euro 2020 last year, with COVID-19 threatening to decimate entire squads and fixture congestion playing a large role in the fatigue of players. FIFA announced in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup that this competition would also allow 26-man squads, an increase of three.
This is the first time the squad count has increased since 2002, when it rose from 22 in 1998 to 23 for the tournament in Japan and South Korea.
How many substitutes are allowed on the bench at World Cup matches?
Despite the increased number of players allowed in World Cup squads, managers will still only be allowed to name 12 players on their bench.
That's according to World Cup competition regulations that state an increase from squad numbers from 23 to 26 will not see an increase in the number of players who can be named as substitutes – just like at Euro 2020.
As a result, three players from every nation will not be named in the matchday squad for each game.
How many substitutes are managers allowed to make in-game at the 2022 World Cup?
For the first time ever, managers will be allowed to make five substitutions at the 2022 World Cup.
This number has risen from the regularly permitted count of three, due to fixture congestion. The Premier League is another of many competitions to be permitting five substitutes per match this season, too.
Substitutions will only be allowed to be made in three separate blocks, however – not including half-time. This is to crack down on time-wasting.
Managers will be allowed to make a sixth substitution during extra-time.
