Nations competing in Euro 2024 in Germany in June and July will be able to field squads of 23 to 26 players, according to a source close to UEFA’s executive committee.
All squad members will be allowed to appear on the teamsheet, unlike the previous European Championship in 2021, when teams had 26 players but three were not allowed to wear kit and had to watch from the stands.
The enlargement from 23 players at the previous Euro was because to the pandemic and probable complications of squad members contracting COVID-19.
FIFA also permitted enlarged squads for the 2022 World Cup, which was held in the middle of the club season in Europe, where many top players are located.
However, it remains to be seen whether all national team coaches would select the maximum number of players this time.
“Statistics show that on average, at a major tournament, four players in a squad don’t play at all, and there are two or three who play a maximum of 10 minutes,” France boss Didier Deschamps recently told AFP.
“Naming 26 players just for the sake of it doesn’t interest me.”
Final squad lists for Euro 2024 must be submitted to European football’s governing body by June 7, seven days before the tournament kicks off.