The domestic club season across Europe may have only just finished, but there is little rest for the continent’s top footballers this summer.

Euro 2024 in Germany begins just 13 days after the Champions League final concluded at Wembley.

The major international football calendar has become ever-more congested; Euro 2020 was delayed by a year due to COVID-19 and the Qatar World Cup was shifted to winter 2022. The consequence of the increased fixture build-up is that UEFA and FIFA have had to make considerable changes in recent years to reduce the increased risks of player injuries and burnout.

Arguably the most significant of those is how many substitutes each coach can name on their bench and how many players each squad can possess. Here’s the rules on how that will work at Euro 2024.

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How many substitutes at Euro 2024? Rules for bench players

UEFA have confirmed that for this year’s tournament in Germany, teams can make up to five substitutions during 90 minutes. These must be done in a maximum of three stoppages in play per team (which excludes half-time and other match delays). 

It’s noteworthy that if subs are made during any drinks breaks for hot weather, these will be counted as stoppages. This is in line with substitution regulations that have been introduced in all major domestic leagues.

Should matches go to extra time, teams will be allowed to use an extra substitute, with one extra stoppage of play per team allowed in that extra period. Again, the time between the end of 90 minutes and the start of extra time, as well as the half-time interval of extra time, does not qualify as a stoppage.

Any unused substitutes from the standard 90 minutes are carried over into extra time; for example, if a side only made four substitutions in 90 minutes, they will have the luxury to make a double change in extra time.

Concussion substitute rules at Euro 2024

Concussion regulations state that any player replaced with a head injury during a match at the tournament does not count as one of the five permitted substitutes.

These are known as concussion substitutes, and were introduced across leagues such as the Premier League at domestic level to protect player welfare. They were also used successfully at the 2022 World Cup.

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How many players are allowed in Euro 2024 squads?

UEFA announced before the tournament that teams will be able to have increased 26-man squads for the competition.

The governing body intended to revert to a 23-man limit for Euro 2024, after Euro 2020 and the FIFA World Cup had larger squads, but the national competitions committee voted in favor of the expanded 26-man format, forcing a reconsideration.

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Can teams replace players in Euro 2024 squads?

Teams had to provide UEFA with a list containing at least 23 and a maximum of 26 players by the squad deadline of June 7.

Late replacements and withdrawals were able to be made due to illness or injury up until June 13, the day before the tournament kick off. But once Euro 2024 is up and running, teams must find alternative solutions from within their submitted 26-man squads.

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