The expected decision from UEFA to increase squad sizes from 23 to 26 for this summer’s European Championship is particularly good news for 72 people in particular — the additional players who now get to attend the tournament in Germany.
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Euro 2020 — held in 2021 after Covid-19-induced delays — was the first major tournament to expand from 23 to 26 slots, although all but two of the 24 teams involved that summer used fewer than 23 of their selections.
The 2022 World Cup also featured 26-man squads, with Brazil the only side to give all of their roster a run-out. A total of 25 of the 32 teams who appeared in Qatar used fewer than 23 players, with Wales and Ecuador each handing game time to only 18.
So, while history suggests that it’s unlikely the names who benefit from the re-expanded squads at Euro 2024 will get time on the pitch this summer, it means a trip to a tournament — and an official tracksuit — for some fringe players who might not have made a 23-man selection.
With that in mind, our writers ponder which additional names could now make the cut for eight of Europe’s leading nations.
Germany
The margins of the host’s squad are lined with big reputations. The most recent omissions, certainly the most high profile, have been from Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Julian Nagelsmann’s selection policy has rewarded form over fame, and that has left Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Karim Adeyemi, Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Sule and Julian Brandt all on the outside looking in.
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It’s tempting to think three extra spaces could be used to appease some of those egos and quieten the disgruntled noises coming from those clubs. Bayern and Dortmund have plenty of journalists sympathetic to their causes, too, and politically, it might be smart to make the odd deferential pick. That will be particularly true if Germany perform poorly at Euro 2024 and Nagelsmann wants a quieter life.
One or two of those players do have strong claims. Bayern and Dortmund are through to the Champions League semi-finals and a few of these marginal candidates — especially Goretzka — will have reminded Nagelsmann of their big-game value.
But with a new contract signed and an extended mandate of sorts from a German public finally re-engaging with its national team, Nagelsmann could also stick to what has worked to this point. Stuttgart’s Chris Fuhrich, Waldemar Anton and Maximilian Mittelstadt are virtual certainties to be included, with Deniz Undav more than likely to join them. Angelo Stiller, one of the country’s great midfield prospects, could be rewarded for a fine season.
Stiller is a No 8 and while Aleksandar Pavlovic’s ascension probably only gives him an outside chance, he could provide useful cover in a midfield full of ageing components (Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan).
Hoffenheim’s Max Beier has 13 goals from 25 Bundesliga starts this season and was included in the last squad. He would likely have made the 23. Heidenheim’s Jan-Niklas Beste was forced to withdraw from the games against France and the Netherlands, but Nagelsmann should find room for him to have another chance. Beste is nominally a left-winger but can cover all sorts of roles down that side. A superb counter-attacker, he would be worth including for his set pieces alone.
Seb Stafford-Bloor
England
The role of the England manager is to make the nation happy. For better or worse, Gareth Southgate now has three extra ways of accomplishing that.
The extra squad space should mean young, in-form figures Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo and Anthony Gordon are secure. But it could also mean Jordan Henderson’s name somehow appears three times — or an attempt is made to break the record number of right-backs taken to a major tournament.
Jokes aside, a 26-man squad should allow Southgate to choose bench options who can operate in multiple positions and who will bring good vibes to the camp.
Harvey Elliott has been one of Liverpool’s successes this season, whether starting or coming off the bench. He’s already played 48 games this season (only two Premier League players have played more in all competitions) but runs around with the energy of a debutant trying to prove himself in each one. The 21-year-old would give his all for the England badge — just as he did last summer as part of the England Under-21 side who won their Euros. Elliott ticks the versatility box too as he can operate across the midfield or wide in a front three.
Harvey Elliott solo goal 🔥#U21EURO | @England pic.twitter.com/S9JTgVMNZo
— UEFA U21 EURO (@UEFAUnder21) June 29, 2023
Another player likely to benefit from an expanded England squad is Ivan Toney. He’s sharp, creative and can’t half take a penalty (just check out the graphic below).
He calms himself by imagining he’s on holiday before each spot kick — but this summer, his time by the beach should be cut short, even after a season disrupted by suspension and, more recently, injury.
Toney has shown he has what it takes when bearing down on goal, so get him to the Golfresort Weimarer Land in Blankenhain and let him pretend he’s poolside. It might prove vital if any of England’s games end in a shootout.
And what about Eberechi Eze? Southgate tends to avoid picking England squads based on club form but he might want to log himself on to analysis platform Wyscout and watch some of Eze’s recent clips.
The Crystal Palace midfielder moves about the pitch with grace and verve and has a knack for picking the right pass or popping up at the perfect time. The strike that downed Liverpool at Anfield this month proves he is calm on big occasions, while acrobatics against West Ham United for his goal — or the nutmeg assist in the same game — highlights the best of the 25-year-old’s skill set.
Caoimhe O’Neill
Italy
Luciano Spalletti didn’t select Gianluca Scamacca for Italy’s friendlies in the United States in March. If leaving him in Bergamo was intended to provoke a reaction, it seems to have worked. Scamacca was then involved in eight goals in his next eight games, helping Atalanta make their first European semi-final since 1988 with fine performances against Sporting Lisbon and Liverpool.
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Italy remains desperate for a centre-forward regardless of Mateo Retegui’s knack for decisiveness. The Genoa striker is raw but has seized his opportunities for the national team. Scamacca, on the other hand, is the bigger, more enigmatic talent. His character has been called into question and his awareness of it has elicited mature, reformed responses in post-match interviews in the weeks that followed his exclusion. Whether that’s enough to change Spalletti’s mind or not remains to be seen.
As Bologna edge closer and closer to Champions League football, Spalletti must be tempted to lean on Thiago Motta’s team. Riccardo Orsolini, Italy’s most in-form wide player, deftly set up Nicolo Barella’s goal against Ecuador and it’d be worthwhile promoting some of his Bologna team-mates from Italy Under-21s.
Italy have depth at the back, but Riccardo Calafiori’s versatility, mobility and tactical awareness make him an outstanding candidate for a place. Giovanni Fabbian, the box-crashing midfielder, has the ability to back up Barella and cover for the suspended Sandro Tonali.
James Horncastle
France
Didier Deschamps tends to stick with who he knows in the run-up to a major tournament, so the possibility of untested inclusions in the France squad is less likely. That said, there might be one exception to that.
Bradley Barcola was in contention for a call-up before the March friendlies with Chile and Germany. The uncapped PSG winger missed out and Aston Villa’s Moussa Diaby was recalled in the absence of the injured Kingsley Coman. Since then, Barcola’s form has continued to catch the eye — and that might just move Deschamps’ hand.
Diaby, who featured from the bench against Chile and has 11 caps, looks in a strong position to retain his place this summer too.
Injuries will play a role regarding who makes the cut in wide areas. Coman’s participation is in doubt after he sustained an adductor injury for Bayern Munich against Cologne this month. He is a Deschamps favourite, however, and that extra legroom in the squad might offer him a route back if he can prove his fitness — at the expense of either Diaby or Barcola.
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The same applies to Christopher Nkunku. Injuries have plagued his first season at Chelsea and that seemed to have left out of the picture. But he is nearing a return for Mauricio Pochettino’s side as he is now taking part in some team training. If Nkunku can get fit and feature positively in the club’s few remaining games, then he might have a say. He has been capped 10 times over the past two years, so he has been in Deschamps’ thinking.
The other contenders will be those who have featured on the fringes of qualifying. Warren Zaire-Emery has quickly rubber-stamped his place in the team, but Matteo Guendouzi might sneak into the picture too. He returned to the squad in March following an injury to Antoine Griezmann. Alternatively, centre-backs Jean-Clair Todibo or Axel Disasi might take one of those extra places, having both featured for France this season.
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What those extra places also indicate is that Randal Kolo Muani and Olivier Giroud should be comfortable selections. The former has struggled for game time at PSG, and there were a few doubts about whether Giroud, France’s all-time leading goalscorer, would continue amid youthful competition. But crucially, both featured in the March friendlies, and a bigger squad should ensure their places.
Peter Rutzler
Netherlands
The Netherlands have an interesting situation in central defence, where they are stacked with talent — Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Micky van de Ven — but where they also face injuries. Head coach Ronald Koeman favours three centre-backs, so plenty of options will be required in Germany.
Sven Botman is out, but the expansion to a 26-man squad means Koeman can sleep a little easier if he picks Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber, who has been out since August with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. The extra spaces mean his injury is less of a risk. Also keep an eye out for the possible inclusion of Ajax’s latest star Jorrel Hato, who made his debut as a 16-year-old last January, and who, like Ake, can also cover left-back.
Another to potentially profit? Look no further than Jurrien’s twin brother Quinten Timber, who has been in top form. He was one of Feyenoord’s star men in their historic 6-0 derby victory over Ajax at the start of this month and has the versatility to play in any of the midfield positions — though is at his best as a late-arriving No 8.
The 22-year-old is also a leader already — watch Feyenoord lift the KNVB Cup (Dutch FA Cup) last week and it is clear how much his team-mates adore him. With the Netherlands squad not always known for being the most united camp, Timber is a glue player.
Jeremie Frimpong may have been the final choice just three months ago, but his form for title-winning Bayer Leverkusen means he should be a guarantee, regardless of whether it is part of a 23- or 26-man-squad. That means it is time for striker Joshua Zirkzee, who was called up for the first time in March. His link-up play and pressing ability have helped Bologna towards Serie A’s Champions League places — as well as his goals. His shot map below shows how he is also a major penalty-box threat.
With the Netherlands’ starting options likely to be the insipid Wout Weghorst or the inconsistent Cody Gakpo, the 22-year-old Zirkzee could quickly find himself in the starting XI.
Jacob Whitehead
Spain
The addition of three extra squad places for this summer’s tournament should be welcomed by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, given there remain so many contenders for different areas within the squad.
In his first year as national coach, De la Fuente used 47 players, then, for last month’s friendlies, issued recalls after at least a year away for Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno, Tottenham’s Pedro Porro and Wolves’ Pablo Sarabia. But the 1-0 defeat to Colombia in London and the 3-3 draw against Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu threw up more questions than answers.
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Being able to bring extra bodies might make it easier to find room for Barca midfielder Pedri. Persistent injury issues mean the 21-year-old won the last of his 18 caps at the 2022 World Cup when Luis Enrique was still the national coach. When fit and confident, Pedri is Spain’s best playmaker and the most likely to unpick a packed opposition defence.
PSG attacker Marco Asensio only managed 44 minutes in Euro 2024 qualifying, due to different injury issues, but played both games when Spain won the 2023 Nations League last summer. Asensio is fit again and could benefit from the exposure if he contributes to notable PSG’s success in the Champions League.
Another late bolter could be Madrid right-back Lucas Vazquez, a 32-year-old who won the last of his nine senior Spain caps at the 2018 World Cup. But Vazquez is in fashion again after his superb all-action Clasico performance last weekend (see his touch map below) and also has more Champions League games coming up to make his case.
De la Fuente will probably not use the extra three spaces for younger players who would not feature much because Spain will also play in the Olympics’ football tournament this summer — and it is very unlikely that any youngsters will be asked to double up (following the bad experience in 2021 with Pedri).
Experience suggests that De la Fuente could still pull a few surprises. His final squad announcement is on May 27, meaning plenty of players will believe they still have time to play their way into contention.
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Belgium
Belgium are in transition — they are holding on to the last of their ‘Golden Generation‘, but also need to give their emerging talent exposure to elite competition.
This leaves head coach Domenico Tedesco with a decision: does he veer young, or take the opportunity to give stalwarts Yannick Carrasco and Axel Witsel one last dance?
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The sensible choice is counter-intuitively at odds with the pragmatic one — Tedesco should surely opt for the future, with the majority of Belgium’s older players unlikely to still be in any sort of prime by the 2026 World Cup.
In defence, Koni De Winter has impressed for Genoa while on loan from Juventus this season. Usefully for a tournament squad, he can play across the entire defence (as well as defensive midfield for good measure) and is a classy player in the build-up. Tedesco has been to Genoa twice this season to watch him, and rewarded the 21-year-old with his first international call-up last month, starting him in a 0-0 draw against Ireland. Burnley’s Ameen Al-Dakhil is another possibility.
In that squad, Tedesco’s most controversial decision was including Thomas Meunier over Union Saint-Gilloise’s indefatigable wing-back Alessio Castro-Montes. With three extra spaces in his squad, he may find room for both. Castro-Montes is an easy player to fall in love with; his superpower is his industry, with the 26-year-old among the Belgian Pro League’s leaders in blocks, carries, progressive passing and tackles.
Finally, while 19-year-old Arthur Vermeeren may be seen as Belgium’s long-term answer in defensive midfield — and should undoubtedly go to Germany — he has struggled for minutes and form since moving to Atletico Madrid in January.
Belgium are well stocked in this area, but if Tedesco wants an insurance policy, the choice could be 21-year-old Mandela Keita, who has broken through at Royal Antwerp this season while still on loan from OH Leuven. The Belgian FA made a big push to convince him to represent them over Guinea, and he made his debut for the senior team in October.
Jacob Whitehead
Portugal
Given that there are no real dilemmas or injuries at the back, it feels sensible to assume Portugal manager Roberto Martinez will use the extra picks to bolster his options in midfield and attack.
The most obvious beneficiary is likely to be Matheus Nunes, who is liked by Martinez despite being some way down the pecking order in central midfield. Nunes has had a fairly anonymous season at Manchester City but his athleticism and ability to carry the ball from deep positions make him a handy player to have around. This might be particularly relevant if Portugal reach the knockout stages, when games can get stretched. It’s not hard to imagine a box-fresh Nunes bounding around some shattered opposition midfielders in the dying embers of extra time.
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If he was fully fit, Pedro Neto would be guaranteed a place in Martinez’s squad, even if he could only pick 23 players. But with injuries continuing to slow him down, the winger — and his manager — might be grateful for the extra leeway granted by the rule change. Neto is not only a thrillingly direct footballer, he also offers balance. He is left-footed, for a start — which most of Portugal’s attackers aren’t. More importantly, he is equally comfortable on both flanks (see his touches graphic below).
The question is whether his body holds up — but the 26-man squad means that Martinez can afford to take a risk, and perhaps even include him if he is not fully recovered from his latest injury.
The expectation in Portugal is that there will also be one more wildcard selection in attack. Former Wolves winger Francisco Trincao, who has had a resurgence at Sporting, is one option. Another is the tricky Francisco Conceicao, son of Porto manager Sergio. The most intriguing pick, though, would be Pedro Goncalves, who has scored 76 times in four seasons for Sporting despite not being a striker. Bizarrely, that return has only earned Goncalves two international caps, turning him into a bit of a cause celebre.
With the goals continuing to fly in — Goncalves has scored 12 since the turn of the year — it may be hard for Martinez to ignore him any longer.
Jack Lang
(Top photos: Getty Images)