Oldies, youngsters and records: The World Cup in numbers

The World Cup of superlatives in numbers:

48 teams are taking part in the World Cup – more than ever before.

1,248 players were nominated for the tournament – ​​that’s a record!

891 professionals experience their World Cup premiere. Including all 26 players from the ÖFB team, which is taking part in the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years.

3 players are taking part in a World Cup for the sixth time: former world footballers Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) as well as Mexico’s goalkeeper legend Guillermo Ochoa. The trio is at the top of this ranking.

43 years Scottish goalie Craig Gordon is old, making him the oldest player in the tournament.

17 years Gilberto Mora is young – the Mexican is the youngster of the final round.

22 players are still under 20 at the start of the tournament.

7 Kicker When it comes to age, they already have a foursome in first place.

5 Mal In a row, Portuguese Carlos Queiroz has qualified for a World Cup, making him the most experienced coach at the finals. Before him, only Bora Milutinovic (1986 to 2002) achieved this. After participating with Portugal (2010) and Iran (2014, 2018, 2022), Queiroz is now in charge of the Ghana national team.

6 teams compete at the World Cup exclusively with legionnaires. Cape Verde, DR Congo, Curaçao, Senegal, Uruguay and Ivory Coast all rely on players who earn their money in foreign leagues.

25 players The 26-man squads in Qatar and Saudi Arabia each come from teams from their own country. Both have only one legionnaire each.

16 stadiums serve as venues for this final tournament. A total of 78 World Cup games will take place in eleven US cities, ten games will take place in the three Mexican stadiums and 13 games will kick off in the two Canadian locations.