Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa have been included in the final FIFA World Cup squad lists released on Tuesday, featuring a record 1,248 players from 48 nations.
The veteran trio are set to appear in the tournament for a record sixth time, according to FIFA.
Out of the total players named for the tournament, 357 have previous World Cup experience, while around 891 will be making their debut on football’s biggest stage.
The tournament, featuring 104 matches across Canada, the United States and Mexico, also highlights a significant age range among players. Scotland’s Craig Gordon is the oldest at 43 years and 162 days, while Mexico’s Gilberto Mora, aged 17 years and 240 days, is among 22 players under 20. Seven players in total are aged 40 or above.
Four countries- Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan — will be making their World Cup debut.
FIFA rules allow squad changes only in cases of serious injury or illness up to 24 hours before a team’s first match, with any exceptions requiring approval from the governing body.