With the 2026 World Cup set to start on 11 June, the final squad announcements are starting to feel more important than ever.
At this stage, the focus is not just on the teams that have already named their squads.
The attention has shifted to the countries yet to reveal their final lists ahead of FIFA’s official squad deadline.
The biggest World Cup squad intrigue is who is still waiting
With the tournament expanded to a 48-team World Cup, the squad announcement process has naturally become longer and harder to follow.
That is why the real talking point is not just who has named their squads. It is who has not.
Among those still waiting are Uruguay, the Netherlands, the United States, Morocco, South Africa, Ghana, Algeria, Canada, Panama, Ecuador and the Czech Republic.
It is a list that includes traditional powers, hosts, recent overachievers and plenty of teams with strong public interest.
At this point, the holdouts are not just a side note. They are part of the build-up.
Mexico show why the wait feels bigger
Mexico bring a different kind of attention as co-hosts, especially with their opener against South Africa.
That detail only adds to the intrigue. South Africa were still without an official squad announcement, so the first match already has a selection storyline attached.
Once the deadline passes, confirmed squads will take over the headlines. For now, it is the unanswered lists that are shaping the final stretch of anticipation.
- Saudi Arabia
- Australia
- Uzbekistan
- Jordan
- Iraq
- Morocco
- South Africa
- Ghana
- Algeria
- United States
- Panama
- Canada
- Ecuador
- Uruguay
- Netherlands
- Czech Republic
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