International coaches have a relatively relaxed job, until it comes time to select a team for a major tournament from a group of players who perform in the best leagues in the world.
Every man and his dog, whether they follow football or not, will have an opinion on who should be included on the team.
As anticipation builds for Euro 2024 in Germany this summer, fans and pundits are eagerly awaiting the announcement of each national team’s roster.
While the exact date of team announcements remains uncertain, UEFA has set a deadline for teams to comply.
Jugo Mobile provides everything you need to know ahead of the announcement and why this tournament is different to previous years.
When are the Euro 2024 squads announced?
We don’t know very well when the Euro Cup squad will be officially announced, but there is a deadline set by UEFA.
The last thing a team can send is June 7, 2024seven days before the opening match of the tournament.
But UEFA has reportedly received requests to extend the deadline for squad submissions for Euro 2024. Numerous nations are said to have expressed concerns that the final round of international friendlies will leave minimal room to assess possible injuries before that the player lists must be finalized and sent to UEFA.
How many players can be included in a Euro 2024 squad?
In April, in a meeting with the coaches of the qualified nations, the competing nations raised the idea of expanding the size of the teams from 23 to 26. Previously there were 26 for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup in case any team was affected by the coronavirus.
The option to maintain 26-man squads for Euro 2024 apparently has the support of the majority of coaches, according to the PA news agency.
Reports on 22 April suggested that UEFA had looked kindly on the request and had voted in favor of making that extension. to 26 players. However, that change is not yet official and would need to be ratified by the UEFA Executive Committee if it were to happen.
With a possible increase to 26 players, coaches will still face a selection headache, but they would be in a position to perhaps place more bets, particularly with the obligation to include three goalkeepers in the original final team of 23 proposed men.
England manager Gareth Southgate had already shared how that would affect his decision-making process: “We can make a lot fewer bets than we were able to make in the last two tournaments, where there were 26.
“The size of the team makes it a different thought process because you’ve had that leeway in the last few tournaments to pick players who weren’t going to be fit for the first few games.”
Perhaps the toughest decision facing Southgate is whether or not Kobbie Mainoo is included in the squad. The 18-year-old oozes class and plays as if he already has 100 caps for England.
Although he is only 18 years old and made his debut in the Premier League this season.
Welcome to the #Three lionsKobbie Mainoo! ? pic.twitter.com/3iM6WfKsHl
– England (@England) March 19, 2024
Euro 2024 calendar and format
The next UEFA European Championship will be held in the summer of 2024, with the group stage about to begin June 14th, 2024.
The tournament will progress over the next month, with the start of the knockout phase. June 30, 2024, with the round of 16. The final will take place in Berlin on July 14, 2024, to crown the winner and close the competition.
| Round | dates |
| Group stage | June 14-26, 2024 |
| round of 16 | June 30 to July 1, 2024 |
| Quarter finals | July 5 and 6, 2024 |
| Semifinals | July 9 and 10, 2024 |
| Final | July 14, 2024 |
