How Many Players Are in a Football Team? Full Guide

Ever wondered how many players are on a football team or how many players make up the squad. There are 11 players in a football team. They can be broadly divided into the goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and forwards. Football team size, and the number of players that make up the squad, have changed over the years for several reasons.

Since 1870, when the game was codified, teams could not select more than eleven players on a football team. This stands to the present day. Increased club and international football matches, player welfare, and COVID-19 led to changes in football squad size. Substitutions, which increased during COVID, and have remained in most leagues. 

The number of substitutions increased during the pandemic because playing squads would go through periods where most of the team had the infection, and because players would test positive the game day. Since the pandemic, the increase in squad and substitutions has been one of the few decisions by FIFA and UEFA that have aided football, and not done purely for monetary reasons. 

Although a football game begins with eleven players on each team, red cards and injuries can reduce the number of players. Moreover, a football match can only continue if there is a minimum of seven players on each team. Should four players be sent off, or a team is reduced to fewer than seven players because of injuries or both, the game will be abandoned. 

SportsBoom has provided a refresher on football squad size for the 2024/25 English Premier League, La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and the 2024 UEFA European Championship.

Liverpool celebrating with Premier League Trophy//Getty Images

How Many Players Make Up An English Premier League Squad?

The English Premier League allows two more players to make up the squad than Euro 2024. Twenty-five players make up the squad in a club’s football team. Premier League clubs may contain no more than 17 players who do not fulfil the ‘Home Grown Player’ (HGP) criteria. The rest of the team’s squad must be ‘Home Grown’. 

‘Home Grown’ status refers to players registered with a club in England or Wales for at least three years before turning 21. This balances out the need for local players and international stars. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the Premier League has increased the number of substitutes from three to five. 

The EPL matchday starting eleven is named, with nine substitutes on the bench to make up the squad. This was increased from the 18-man squads before 2020. A disproportionate amount of muscle injuries in the last few seasons has derailed many teams. We can expect the substitutes’ bench to increase in the coming years if this concerning trend continues. Changes to the EPL squad may only be done during the January transfer window.

FC Barcelona players celebrating//Getty Images

How Many Players Make Up a La Liga Squad? 

Like the English Premier League, La Liga squads are made up of 25 players for the season. Spain’s top-flight division has specific regulations for each club to follow. Similar regulations exist in La Liga as the EPL. No fewer than eight ‘homegrown’ players must be selected in the squad. ‘Homegrown’ players must be registered with any Spanish football team for a minimum of three seasons. The players must be between the ages of 15 and 21.

These rules and regulations aim to encourage the development of young talent in Spain by ensuring that teams provide opportunities for ‘homegrown’ players. La Liga stresses the importance of youth development. It encourages teams to invest time and resources into their youth academies. The goal is a successful national team.

Promoting ‘homegrown’ talent not only benefits individual players but also strengthens Spain’s international junior and senior sides. These rules ensure young skilled domestic players have a chance to make it as professionals. Saving places for promising youngsters, will, ultimately, enhance the competitiveness and quality of La Liga matches, and strengthen the national team. 

Spain's midfielder Andres Iniesta raises the trophy//Getty Images

Homegrown Talent Turned Spain into the Best Football Nation of the Twenty-First Century

‘Homegrown’ rules and regulations have been successful for Spain. They have won every international tournament on offer. Lamine Yamal is the youngest player to represent Spain. He propelled La Roja to EURO 2024 success. The under-23 Olympic team won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in Japan before taking gold at Paris 2024. Spain also won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney, adding to their other recent Olympic successes.

Since the turn of the century, Spain has won three UEFA European Championships (2008, 2012 & 2024), the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the 2023 UEFA Nations League. They were UEFA Nations League runners-up in 2021. Only Argentina can match Spain for international tournament success in the twenty-first century. 

Moreover, Spain’s junior national teams have won it all. Spain’s under-21 team has the joint-most UEFA European Under-21 Championships (5). They claimed the trophy in 2011, 2013, and 2019. They finished runners-up four times, but twice in the last seven years (2017 & 2023), and in third place in 2020.  The under-20 team won the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 1999.

The under-19 side has won nine UEFA European Under-19 Championships, with one runner up place since 2000. This makes the under-19 team the most successful team in Europe. La Roja’s under-18 team has won several age-group competitions, over the years, but last won the European Championship in 1995. They have, however, won several international tournaments, with teams from other continents.

Spain’s under-17 team is all-conquering. They have won nine UEFA European Under-17 Championships and finished second six times. Spain’s under-17s have also finished runners-up at four FIFA Under-17 World Cups, three times since 2000. Spain’s under-16 has been equally successful, winning six Under-16 European Championships, but only one since 2000. 

The Spanish men’s team has been voted FIFA’s Team of the Year six times since 2008. Furthermore, they won all six awards in successive seasons (2008 – 2013). Spain won the  Laureus World Sports Award for ‘Team of the Year’ in 2011. The Women’s team were awarded Laures ‘Team of the Year’ in 2024 after winning the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 UEFA Women’s Nations League. 

The sustained and unparalleled success of Spanish teams has continued in club football. La Liga teams have won 51 European and world titles since 2000, more than any country in Europe. La Liga’s incredible trophy haul, combined with Spain’s national men’s, women’s teams, and junior teams provide enough data to conclude Spain is the greatest football nation of the twenty-first century in club and international football. 

Head Coach and Players of Real Madrid Celebrating with the trophy//Getty Images

How Many Players Make Up a UEFA Champions League Squad?

Like the English Premier League and La Liga, 25 players are allowed in each UEFA Champions League squad. The European football clubs must submit two lists of players: List A and List B. List A allows 25 players, with at least two goalkeepers. A minimum of eight places are reserved for locally trained players. Locally trained players fall into two categories: club-trained and association-trained.

As ever, club-trained players are on the books for three years, between ages 15 and 21. Association-trained players, on another club’s books in the same association for three years, between ages 15 and 21. Four association-trained players are allowed among the eight nominees on List A. List B players born on or after January 1, 1995, are eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted two-year period since their 15th birthday.

Football clubs may, however, register an unlimited number of players on List B during the season. Changes During the Champions League season. Clubs can register up to three new players ahead of the knockout stage. The overall limit of 25 players on List A remains the same. 

Players may have participated in qualifying for the Champions League or UEFA Europa League; however, only one player can have played in the Europa League group stage. Players cannot represent two clubs in the Champions League, from the group stage onwards. Five substitutes remain in place throughout the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates UEFA trophy//Getty Images

How Many Players Were Allowed for UEFA EURO 2024 Football Squads?

There were 23 players allowed per squad for the 17th edition of the UEFA European Championship in Germany. This was a three-player reduction in squad size from UEFA EURO 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Squad sizes increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic but have since been reduced. The use of five substitutions remained the same for EURO 2024. 

There were no number stipulations for outfield players per position for the tournament. However, managers had to select three goalkeepers in the 23-man squad, which made selection tricky. Moreover, EURO 2024 had two fewer players than English Premier League squad sizes.