UEFA confirm to consider increasing Euro 2024 squad sizes up to 26 players

Proposals to increase squad sizes for Euro 2024 has crucial support from major nations as UEFA confirm they will consider the extension.

England head coach Gareth Southgate revealed this week that squad capacity for the tournament could increase from 23 to 26 and a UEFA spokesman confirmed: ‘We have taken note of comments expressed by some national team coaches on the squad size for EURO 2024.

‘A workshop with the participating teams will be held on 8 April and on that occasion UEFA will listen to the views of the coaches. Any idea in this respect will then be considered and assessed.’

Holland head coach Ronald Koeman is among those in favour of the mooted increase.

‘I find it absurd that you can only select 23 players for the European Championship. We don't accept this. UEFA should not be stubborn. They have to do what is best for football and the level of the European Championship. We have to lobby UEFA with several countries.

‘We're going to the end of the season. Many national teams already have so many injured players that they cannot field. There is a good chance that this will get worse in the coming months.

‘If one player drops out, we will no longer be able to train eleven against eleven at the European Championship.’

Germany head coach Julian Naglesmann is also understood to be among those in favour of 26-man squads amid a feeling there is enough backing for the squad extension to be granted by UEFA, who will be guided by the coaches.

During the delayed Euro 2020, nations were permitted to name 26 players due to the implications of strict Covid restrictions.

However, managers could only select 12 substitutes, meaning three players would be left out of the squad altogether.

That dynamic proved problematic for a number