International managers have a relatively relaxed job, that is until it’s time to select a squad for a major tournament from a crop of players performing 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 in the squad.
As the anticipation builds for Euro 2024 in Germany this summer, fans and pundits eagerly await the announcement of each national team’s roster.
While the exact date of squad announcements remains fluid, UEFA has set a deadline for teams to meet.
The Sporting News provides everything you need to know ahead of the announcement, and why this tournament is different to previous years.
MORE: England squad prediction: Who will Gareth Southgate take to Germany?
When are Euros 2024 squads announced?
We don’t quite know when the Euros squad will be officially communicated but there is a deadline set by UEFA.
The latest a squad can be submitted is June 7, 2024, seven days before the opening game of the tournament.
But according to reports, UEFA have received requests to extend the deadline for Euro 2024 squad submissions. Numerous nations are said to have expressed worries that the final round of friendly internationals leaves minimal room for evaluating potential injuries before player rosters must be finalised and submitted to UEFA.
How many players can be included in a Euro 2024 squad?
In April, at a meeting with coaches from the qualified nations, the competing nations posed the idea of extending squad sizes from 23 to 26. It was previously 26 for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup in case any squads were unsettled by the Coronavirus.
The option to keep to 26-man squads for Euro 2024 apparently has the support of the majority of coaches, as per the PA news agency.
Reports on April 22 suggested that UEFA had look kindly on the request and had voted to make that extension to 26 players. That change is not yet official, however, and would need to be ratified by the UEFA Executive Committee if it were to happen.
With a possible increase to 26 players, managers will still face a selection headache but they would find themselves in a position where they can perhaps take more gambles, particularly with the obligation to include three goalkeepers in the original final 23-man proposed squad.
England boss Gareth Southgate had already shared how that would affect his decision-making process: “We can take far fewer gambles than we were able to take for the last two tournaments where it was 26.
“The size of the squad makes it a different sort of thought process because you’ve had that leeway in the last couple of tournaments to take players that weren’t going to be fit for the first couple of games.”
Perhaps the toughest decision Southgate faces is whether or not Kobbie Mainoo is included in the squad. The 18-year-old oozes class and plays as though he has 100 caps for England already.
Though he is just 18 and made his Premier League debut only this season.
Welcome to the #ThreeLions, Kobbie Mainoo! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/3iM6WfKsHl
— England (@England) March 19, 2024
MORE: Full EURO 2024 group stage draw and schedule
Euro 2024 schedule, format
The next UEFA European Championship will take place in the summer of 2024, with the group stage to begin June 14, 2024.
The tournament will progress for the subsequent month, with the knockout stage beginning 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 out the competition.
| Round | Dates |
| Group Stage | June 14-26, 2024 |
| Round of 16 | June 30-July 1, 2024 |
| Quarterfinals | July 5-6, 2024 |
| Semifinals | July 9-10, 2024 |
| Final | July 14, 2024 |
