Ultimately, the 23 players who represent their country at the World Cup are chosen by that country's head coach. The coaches initially submit a preliminary 30-man roster (due one month before the competition begins), then trim that down to a 23-man squad two weeks before the cup begins.
There's only one restriction to squad selection - the 23-man squad must contain at least three goalkeepers. If a coach wanted to pick three goalies and twenty defenders, they could...although it probably wouldn't be a great idea.
Despite FIFA's rules, the decision-making that goes into the selection process is slightly different from country to country. For a team like Brazil or Germany, the best players will be fairly obvious - they're the ones playing in the best leagues and getting all the media attention. If a major country leaves out an established star, the coach will be in for a real headache when the papers come out the next day.
For a less-established soccer power like Iran or Cameroon, the coach has much more freedom to pick players at their discretion - if they've worked with a player before and trust them to perform, it doesn't matter if they're a relative unknown on the world stage. The influence of the media means that smaller countries have more freedom to experiment and build unique, interesting squads - and the results are sometimes exciting and unexpected.
With all the fanfare around the 2014 World Cup, we’re answering all the questions soccer initiates might have about the world’s most-watched sporting event. Make sure to check out our Ultimate World Cup Guide for the complete FAQ!
