With less than five weeks until the FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America, football fans are counting down to the announcement of squads for the 48 participating nations.

The expanded tournament, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, opens on June 11 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca with Mexico facing South Africa.

National teams must submit a preliminary list by May 11, containing 35 to 55 players, including four goalkeepers. This list serves as the official pool for replacements.

Injuries have already ruled out several players, including Brazil's Rodrygo and Eder Militao. Egypt's Mohamed Salah and Spain's Lamine Yamal are recovering from hamstring injuries but are expected to be fit.

Clubs must release players for national duty by May 25, starting the mandatory rest and preparation period. Final squads of 23–26 players must be submitted by June 1, with FIFA confirming them on June 2.

Replacements due to serious injury or illness are allowed only from the preliminary list and must be made no later than 24 hours before the team's first match. Goalkeepers can be replaced at any time during the tournament.

The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, featuring a group stage, round of 32, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, bronze medal match, and final.

Source: www.aljazeera.com