What’s the maximum number of players in a country’s squad at Euro 2024?

The clock is ticking down towards the start of Euro 2024 with host nation Germany facing Scotland in the Group A opening game on Friday (14 June).

The previous tournament, staged in 2021 rather than the scheduled 2020 due to the global Covid pandemic saw UEFA relax the regulations regarding squad size as a deterrent against players possibly testing positive and impacting on the squad.

At a recent UEFA Executive Committee in early May, European football’s governing body decided to increase the maximum squad size of the teams participating in the tournament from the original quota of 23 to 26 players.

All 24 nations involved in this summer’s European Championship had up to 7 June to submit their final confirmed 26-man squad for the tournament.

Five substitutes per game are also permitted which is another legacy rule from the pandemic period and that has been implement by all governing bodies.

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France and Belgium, odd ones out

With all participating nations complying with their 26-man squad deadlines, curiously two national team head coaches have decided to bring just 25 players to Germany with both Didier Deschamps and Domenico Tedesco opting for squads of 25 for their France and Belgium teams respectively.

Teams also have a window before the first match to make late changes and this was the case with the Netherlands after it was confirmed that FC Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong would not be fit to play with his ankle injury still posing problems for the player.

Ian Maatsen, on loan at Borussia Dortmund last season, has been drafted into the Dutch squad to replace the Barça star.