Team Brasil arriving in the United States / @CBF_Futebol

With just eight days to go for the opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between one of three hosts – Mexico – and South Africa, the entire North America is in the grip of soccer fever.

Most talked about issue anywhere in the continent is availability of tickets for the 104-match extravaganza.

After two games on the opening day in Mexico on June 11, the FIFA World Cup will reach out its audiences in Canada (Toronto) and the US where the hosts will take on Paraguay.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026 - Debutants

Most of the 48 participating nations have already announced their squads for the prestigious event as USA plays its final pre-event send-off  game against Germany on June 6 in Chicago.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian team arrived in Newark; it plays its opener against Morocco on June 13 at Rutherford, NJ.

Toronto is getting finishing touches before the home team’s opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After a formal announcement, it was clear who all 26 players would be part of Canada’s roster at the biggest FIFA World Cup ever.

On May 29 night, Canada Soccer announced head coach Jesse Marsch’s squad for the big tournament, which kicks off on June 11. Canada will play its first match, against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.

On the goalkeeping front, Dayne St. Clair and Maxime Crepeau will battle for the starters’ spot. They’ll be backed up by Owen Goodman.

St. Clair was part of Canada’s squad at the last FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022. Crépeau missed out due to injury.

The deep defence will be headed by captain Alphonso Davies. Since he is still recovering from a hamstring injury, and Marsch has said he may not be ready for the opener on June 12.

Fellow fullbacks Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Niko Sigur are also on the squad. They will be joined by central defenders Moïse Bombito, Derek Cornelius, Luc de Fougerolles, Alfie Jones and Joel Waterman.

In central midfield are vice-captain Stephen Eustáquio, Ismaël Koné, Jonathan Osorio, Nathan Saliba and Mathieu Choinière. They are supported   on the flanks by Tajon Buchanan, Ali Ahmed, Jacob Shaffelburg, Liam Millar and Marcelo Flores.

The forwards are led by the team’s two most prolific goal scorers of all time, Jonathan David and Cyle Larin. Supporting them will be Tani Oluwaseyi and Promise David (no relation to Jonathan).

Exactly half (13 of 26 players) were part of Canada’s roster at Qatar 2022. One of them, Osorio, is both the oldest (33) and most experienced (89 national-team appearances) Canadian on the 2026 squad.

He is one of just five players (with Crépeau, Larin, Laryea and Waterman) in their 30s. On the flip side, there are six players (de Fougerolles, Flores, Goodman, Koné, Saliba and Sigur) who are 23 or younger.

Team Canada prepared for the tournament with two friendlies at home. It faced Uzbekistan in Edmonton on June 1 and will  now  go up against the Republic of Ireland in Montreal on June 5.

After the World Cup opener on June 12, Canada heads to Vancouver to face Qatar (June 18) and Switzerland (June 24).

This is Canada’s second consecutive appearance in the FIFA World Cup, following a 36-year absence. Though Davies scored Canada’s first-ever World Cup goal at Qatar 2022, the team is still seeking a first-ever World Cup point (win or draw).

Since the squad lists for the FIFA World Cup 2026 have been published by FIFA, representing one of the tournament’s most exciting with 48 teams and 1,248 players made available to take to the pitch across 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the United States, this edition represents a watershed moment for the global game, opening the door to more nations, players and their fans than ever before, a release by FIFA said.

It further said that the confirmed squad lists underline the scale and enduring appeal of the tournament with 357 players returning after at least one previous FIFA World Cup squad inclusion. Some 891 players are set to experience the competition for the first time, highlighting both continuity and renewal across the global game.

The generational breadth is equally striking, with over 25 years separating the oldest player (Scotland’s Craig Gordon at 43 years and 162 days old) from the youngest (Mexico’s Gilberto Mora at 17 years and 240 days old). A total of 22 players under 20 years old and seven players aged 40 or above at the start of the tournament could feature, whilst 22 FIFA World Cup winners are returning to the global stage.

Combined with the return of established stars to football’s premier competition, this tournament also brings a new wave of players and nations into the spotlight. Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan are set to experience the FIFA World Cup for the first time, highlighting how the expanded format is making the competition more representative of the global game.

One of the standout stories is Uzbekistan’s historic first appearance on the world stage, with rising stars such as Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov making dreams come true back home. Other highlights of the next generation of players include France’s Warren Zaïre-Emery, New Zealand’s Finn Surman and Morocco’s Bilal El Khannouss, among many others. Meanwhile, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexico’s goalkeeping icon Guillermo Ochoa are set for record-breaking sixth FIFA World Cup campaigns.

The confirmed lists reflect the global nature of modern football, with 449 different clubs from 71 countries represented (14 from the AFC region, six from CAF, seven from Concacaf, eight from CONMEBOL, one from the OFC, and 35 from UEFA). The squad lists also highlight contrasting national profiles, ranging from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, whose teams are built almost entirely from domestically based players (25 out of 26 in both cases) to others, such as Cabo Verde, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Senegal and Uruguay, that draw their entire squads from overseas leagues.

When it comes to those masterminding the squad lists, Ghana’s Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz is coaching at his fifth consecutive FIFA World Cup, having previously led Portugal in 2010 and IR Iran in 2014, 2018 and 2022. He is only the second coach to appear at five straight tournaments, after Bora Milutinović (1986–2002).

The confirmed squad lists embody what makes the tournament truly unique — a celebration of excellence, diversity and global unity through football.

 

Discover more at New India Abroad.