coming home newcastle 
04-04-2024 11:04
04-04-2024 11:04
UEFA expected to expand Euro 2024 squads to 26 players
UEFA is reviewing a proposal to expand the squad size for national teams participating in Euro 2024 to 26 players. The possible change has been proposed by national team coaches ahead of the summer tournament.
This comes as a follow-up to a similar expansion that initially took place for the Euro 2020 which was fostered by the overloaded and packed schedule brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
FIFA maintained the increased quota for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but the change wasn’t meant to be permanent following those two tournaments. However, that seems to have changed and a final decision on the matter will be reached during a workshop on April 8 that will involve representatives from all participating nations in the upcoming Euro 2024.
Several coaches, including England’s Gareth Southgate, have publicly backed the change to a 26-man squad. Southgate’s most recent comments were made during the last international break as the Three Lions suffered multiple injuries during that time, impacting the availability of Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Bukayo Saka, and captain Harry Kane to different extents.
Southgate expressed his support for the proposal following a 2-2 draw against Belgium. He highlighted the challenges of managing a 23-player squad in situations in which a few players might be not be fully fit to play, noting, “We’ve been able to get those (selections) right in the previous tournaments. We’ve been able to give people time (to recover, having named them in the squad). But with 23, that’s definitely more difficult.”
UEFA’s consideration of the change is expected to be positive and to greenlight the increase of the roster quota from 23 to 26 players for Euro 24 and, most probably, for other future international tournaments.
Of course, UEFA and FIFA will still be scheduling nonsensical matches and creating new tournaments to nullify all of the good they do some times. Some things will never change...
This comes as a follow-up to a similar expansion that initially took place for the Euro 2020 which was fostered by the overloaded and packed schedule brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
FIFA maintained the increased quota for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but the change wasn’t meant to be permanent following those two tournaments. However, that seems to have changed and a final decision on the matter will be reached during a workshop on April 8 that will involve representatives from all participating nations in the upcoming Euro 2024.
Several coaches, including England’s Gareth Southgate, have publicly backed the change to a 26-man squad. Southgate’s most recent comments were made during the last international break as the Three Lions suffered multiple injuries during that time, impacting the availability of Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Bukayo Saka, and captain Harry Kane to different extents.
Southgate expressed his support for the proposal following a 2-2 draw against Belgium. He highlighted the challenges of managing a 23-player squad in situations in which a few players might be not be fully fit to play, noting, “We’ve been able to get those (selections) right in the previous tournaments. We’ve been able to give people time (to recover, having named them in the squad). But with 23, that’s definitely more difficult.”
UEFA’s consideration of the change is expected to be positive and to greenlight the increase of the roster quota from 23 to 26 players for Euro 24 and, most probably, for other future international tournaments.
Of course, UEFA and FIFA will still be scheduling nonsensical matches and creating new tournaments to nullify all of the good they do some times. Some things will never change...