Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring a goal against Bolivia, at Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires, Oct. 15, 2024. (Reuters-Yonhap) The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, is accelerating preparations after finalizing rosters totaling 1,248 players from 48 nations. With the tournament expanded from 32 teams to 48, the number of matches has increased to 104, bringing significantly more countries and players to soccer's biggest stage.Global stars are among those heading to North America. FIFA announced Tuesday that all participating nations had submitted their final rosters, confirming that iconic players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa will compete in the tournament.According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, 357 of the 1,248 players selected have previous World Cup experience, while 891 will be making their tournament debuts.One of the most notable storylines is the longevity of some of the sport's biggest stars. Messi, Ronaldo and Ochoa are all set to appear in their sixth World Cup. The trio first played in the 2006 tournament in Germany and will reach another milestone by returning for the 2026 edition.The age range among players is equally striking.Craig Gordon of Heart of Midlothian is the oldest player on a final roster at 43 years and 162 days. At the opposite end is Gilberto Mora of Club Tijuana, who is 17 years and 240 days old. The age difference between the two is nearly 26 years.The tournament will feature 22 players under age 20 and seven players age 40 or older. Another 22 players have previously won a World Cup, creating a mix of established champions and emerging talent.The distribution of players among clubs also highlights the global nature of the game. The 1,248 players come from 449 clubs across 71 countries. Clubs from 35 UEFA member nations account for the largest share of players, while clubs from 14 Asian Football Confederation countries, eight South American countries, seven CONCACAF countries, six African countries and one Oceania nation are also represented.Roster composition varies significantly by country.Qatar and Saudi Arabia each selected 25 domestic-league players among their 26-man squads, reflecting their reliance on home-based talent.By contrast, the squads of Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Curacao, Senegal and Uruguay are composed entirely of players based abroad, primarily in Europe and other foreign leagues.A coaching milestone will also be reached at the tournament.Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz will lead Ghana at the World Cup. He previously coached Portugal at the 2010 tournament and Iran at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions.By taking charge of Ghana, Queiroz will appear on the World Cup bench for a fifth consecutive tournament, spanning 2010 through 2026. He will become only the second coach to achieve that feat, joining Bora Milutinovic, who coached at five straight World Cups from 1986 through 2002.Teams are also continuing to monitor injuries as the tournament approaches. FIFA rules allow a player suffering a serious injury or illness to be replaced up to 24 hours before his team's opening match.South Korea has already made one roster change.Defender Cho Yu-min suffered a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot during a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on May 31 and was ruled out for approximately eight weeks.South Korea replaced him with Cho Wi-je of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, reshaping its defensive lineup ahead of the World Cup.(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)