How many substitutes are allowed at Qatar World Cup 2022? Squad size and rules for World Cup fixtures

Argentina are taking on France in the final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

This year’s World Cup will mark the first time the FIFA tournament has taken place in winter and as such a few changes have been made in order to accommodate playing in the heat of the Middle East. The scheduling of the tournament has been one of many controversies to surround this tournament, with the majority of criticism stemming from the country’s human rights violations.

Various countries, notably Australia, have since made statements regarding the criticism and it is believed England, along with a number of other teams, will feature LGBTQ+ armbands on their kit.

As the squads make their final preparations ahead of the tournament, here is all you need to know about how many substitutes can be made in each match...

How many substitutes are allowed at Qatar World Cup 2022?

In June, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved the use of five substitues for the World June. This has allowed the Premier League to permanently move to five subs and officially approved other leagues keeping the rule which had been temporarily changed during the Covid pandemic.

Additionally, the number of substitutes allowed on the bench has also increased from 12 to 15 for the World Cup. FIFA have said: “Given the need to retain additional flexibility due to the unique timing of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in the global calendar, as well as the broader context of the disruptive effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on squad before and during thetournaments, the Bureau has decided the following...

“The final matchday at club level for the 23 to 26 players nominated on the final list will be 13 November 2022. No more than 26 people (up to 15 substitutes and 11 team officials - one of these officials must be the team doctor) will be allowed to sit on the team bench. “

How big are the World Cup squads?

Usually, the team selects 23 players but the nature of this tournament has meant the total has increased to 26. This also accounts for the tournament being 28 days long rather than the normal 32 and means all sides competing can deal with the fixture congestion and any potential illness outbreaks in the squad.

England’s squad consisted of:

• Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope.
• Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Eric Dier, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Ben White.
• Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Jordan Henderson, Mason Mount, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice.
• Forwards: Phil Foden, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Jack Grealish, Marucs Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling, Callum Wilson/

When is the World Cup 2022?

England’s campaign will begin on Monday 21 November 2022 with a match against Iran for the first of their three group stage matches. Qatar will kick-off the action on Sunday 20 November as they take on Ecuador at 4pm GMT. England have a kick-off time of 1pm GMT and will then take on the USA and Wales respectively in their remaining group games. BBC and ITV are sharing the rights for the tournament. BBC One will have the rights for the opening fixture.