The 2019 AFC Asian Cup in UAE begins on January 5 and ends on February 1, with 24 squads from around the continent taking part in Asian football's most prestigious tournament.
The tournament was expanded to 24 teams from the previous format of 16 teams, which had been used since 2004. Of the 24 teams taking part, 15 of those will be making back-to-back appearances, including reigning champions Australia, while the Kyrgyz Repubic, Philippines and Yemen will be making their first appearances.
Similarly, fans of the beautiful game will see star names such as Son Heung-min and Yuto Nagatomo represent their respective countries, but will also have the privilege of discovering new faces as coaches look to break in a new generation of younger players.
Speculation over which players should be 'on the plane' has been rife amongst those eager to see their favourite players turn out for their nations – but spaces in national squads are limited.
So, how many players make the cut and who exactly who is going to the UAE? Goal has all the answers.
Which teams have qualified for the Asian Cup?
The full list of 24 teams qualified for UAE 2019 is as follows:
| Group A | Group B | Group C |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | Australia | South Korea |
| Thailand | Syria | China PR |
| India | Palestine | Kyrgyz Republic |
| Bahrain | Jordan | Phlippines |
| Group D | Group E | Group F |
|---|---|---|
| Iran | Saudi Arabia | Japan |
| Iraq | Qatar | Uzbekistan |
| Vietnam | Lebanon | Oman |
| Yemen | North Korea | Turkmenistan |
Every confirmed Asian Cup 2019 squad
Group A
UAE's 23-man final squad: Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Mohamed Al Shamsi, Mohamed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Fares Juma, Khalifa Mubarak, Walid Abbas, Al Hassan Saleh, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Amer Abdulrahman, Rayan Yaslam, Mohamed Abdulrahman, Khalfan Mubarak, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ali Salmeen, Khamis Esmail, Ali Mabkhout, Ahmed Khalil, Saif Rashid, Ismail Matar
Thailand's 23-man final squad: Siwarak Tedsungnoen, Chatchai Budprom, Saranon Anuin, Theerathon Bunmathan, Adisorn Promrak, Tristan Do, Chalermpong Kerdkaew, Pansa Hemviboon, Korrakot Wiriyaudomsiri, Mika Chunuonsee, Suphan Thongsong, Chanathip Songkrasin, Pokklaw Anan, Tanaboon Kesarat, Sanrawat Dechmitr, Thitipan Puangchan, Sumanya Purisai, Sasalak Haiprakhon, Teerasil Dangda, Adisak Kraisorn, Siroch Chatthong, Supachai Jaided, Chananan Pombuppha
India's 23-man final squad: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith, Amrinder Singh, Pritam Kotal, Sarthak Golui, Sandesh Jhingan, Anas Edathodika, Salam Ranjan Singh, Subhasish Bose, Narayan Das, Udanta Singh, Jackichand Singh, Germanpreet Singh, Pronay Halder, Anirudh Thapa, Vinit Rai, Rowllin Borges, Ashique Kuruniyan, Halicharan Narzary, Sumeet Passi, Balwant Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua
Bahrain's 23-man final squad: Sayed Shubbar Alawi, Yusuf Habib Hasan, Abdulkarim Fardan Abdulkarim, Sayed Mahdi Baqer, Waleed Mohamed Alhayem, Hamad Mahmood Al Shamsan, Ahmed Merza Moosa, Ahmed Ali Juma, Sayed Redha Isa, Ahmed Mubarak Bughammar, Ahmed Abdulla Ali, Sayed Dhiya Saeed, Abdulwahab Ali Alsafi, Mohamed Jasim Marhoon, Ali Jaafar Madan, Ali Abdula Haram, Jasim Ahmed Al Shaikh, Komail Hasan Alaswad, Jamal Rashed Andulrahman, Mahdi Faisal Al Humaidan, Abdulla Yusuf Helal, Mohamed Saad Al Romaihi, Sami Mohamed Al Husaini
Group B
Australia's 23-man final squad: Mathew Ryan, Mitchell Langerak, Danny Vukovic, Milos Degenek, Alex Gersbach, Rhyan Grant, Mark Milligan, Matthew Jurman, Aziz Behich, Josh Risdon, Trent Sainsbury, Massimo Luongo, James Jeggo, Mustafa Amini, Jackson Irvine, Tom Rogic, Mathew Leckie, Jamie Maclaren, Robbie Kruse, Andrew Nabbout, Martin Boyle, Chris Ikonomidis, Awer Mabil
Syria's 23-man final squad: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al-Youssef, Ahmad Madania, Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anizan, Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef, Omar Kharbin, Omar Al Soma, Mardik Mardikian
Palestine's 23-man final squad: Tawfiq Ali, Amr Kaddoura, Rami Hamadeh, Daniel Mustafá, Mohammed Saleh, Tamer Salah, Musab Al-Battat, Jaka Ihbeisheh, Abdullah Jaber, Abdelatif Bahdari, Alexis Norambuena, Mohammed Bassim, Shadi Shaban, Jonathan Cantillana, Tamer Seyam, Sameh Maraaba, Pablo Tamburrini, Oday Dabbagh, Nazmi Albadawi, Mohammed Darweesh, Yashir Islame, Khaled Salem, Mahmoud Wadi
Jordan's 23-man final squad: Amer Shafi, Moataz Yaseen, Ahmed Abdel-Sattar, Tareq Khattab, Yazan Abu Arab, Mohammed Al-Basha, Anas Bani Yaseen, Bara’ Marei, Feras Shelbaieh, Salem Al-Ajalin, Baha’ Abdel-Rahman, Saeed Murjan, Saleh Rateb, Yousef Al-Rawashdeh, Ahmad Ersan, Yazan Thalji, Yaseen Al-Bakhit, Musa Al-Taamari, Obaida Al-Samarneh, Khalil Bani Attiah, Ahmed Samir, Baha’ Faisal, Odai Khadr
Group C
South Korea's 23-man final squad: Kim Seung-gyu, Kim Jin-hyeon, Jo Hyeon-woo, Jung Seung-hyun, Kwon Kyung-won, Kim Min-jae, Lee Yong, Kim Moon-hwan, Hong Chul, Kim Jin-su, Kim Young-gwon, Ki Sung-yueng, Jung Woo-young, Koo Ja-cheol, Hwang In-beom, Ju Se-jong, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Na Sang-ho, Lee Chung-yong, Son Hueng-min, Hwang Ui-jo, Ji Dong-won
China PR's 23-man final squad: Yan Junling, Wang Dalei, Guo Quanbo, Feng Xiaoting, Zhang Linpeng, Zhang Chengdong, Yu Yang, Shi Ke, Liu Yiming, Liu Yang, Zheng Zhi, Wu Xi, Hao Junmin, Zhao Xuri, Jin Jingdao, Chi Zhongguo, Piao Cheng, Wu Lei, Gao Lin, Yu Dabao, Yu Hanchao, Xiao Zhi, Wei Shihao
Kyrgyz Republic's 23-man final squad: Pavel Matyash, Kutman Kadyrbekov, Valery Kashuba, Valery Kichin, Tamirlan Kozubaev, Mustafa Iusupov, Aizar Akmatov, Viktor Maier, Daniel Tagoe, Tursunali Rustamov, Aziz Sydykov, Edgar Bernhardt, Bekzhan Sagynbaev, Odiljon Abdurakhmanov, Murolimzhon Akhmedov, Kairat Zhyrgalbek Uulu, Bakhtiyar Duyshobekov, Farhat Musabekov, Anton Zemlianukhin, Akhlidin Israilov, Mirlan Murzaev, Ernist Batyrkanov, Vitaliy Lux
Philippines' 23-man final squad: Nathanael Villanueva, Michael Falkesgaard, Kevin Ray Hansen, Alvaro Silva, Carli de Murga, Daisuke Sato, Stephan Palla, Luke Woodland, Adam Tull, Curt Dizon, Paul Mulders, John-Patrick Strauss, Iain Ramsey, Manuel Ott, Kevin Ingreso, Stephan Schrock, Miguel Tanton, James Younghusband, Mike Ott, Jovin Bedic, Phil Younghusband, Patrick Reichelt, Javier Patino
Group D
Iran's 23-man final squad: Alireza Beiranvand, Payam Niazmand, Amir Abedzadeh, Ramin Rezaeian, Milad Mohammadi, Majid Hosseini, Mohammadhossein Kananizadegan, Pejman Montazeri, Vouria Ghafouri, Ehsan Haji Safi, Morteza Pouraliganji, Omid Ebrahimi, Ahmad Nourollahi, Masoud Shojaei, Ashkan Dejagah, Vahid Amiri, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Sardar Azmoun, Karim Ansarifard, Saman Ghoddos, Mehdi Taremi, Mehdi Torabi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh
Iraq's 23-man final squad: Jalal Hassan, Mohammed Gassid, Mohammed Hameed, Ahmad Ibrahim, Frans Dhia Putros, Saad Natiq, Ali Faez, Ali Adnan, Alaa Ali Mhawi, Rebin Sulaka, Waleed Salim, Safaa Hadi, Osama Rashid, Ahmed Yasin, Humam Tariq, Bashar Resan, Amjad Attwan, Ali Husni, Hussein Ali, Mahdi Kamel, Mohanad Ali, Ayman Hussein, Alaa Abbas
Vietnam's 23-man final squad: Bùi Tiến Dũng, Nguyễn Tuấn Mạnh, Đặng Văn Lâm, Đỗ Duy Mạnh, Quế Ngọc Hải, Bùi Tiến Dũng, Đoàn Văn Hậu, Nguyễn Phong Hồng Duy, Hồ Tấn Tài, Nguyễn Thành Chung, Lương Xuân Trường, Nguyễn Huy Hùng, Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng, Trần Minh Vương, Phạm Đức Huy, Đỗ Hùng Dũng, Nguyễn Quang Hải, Nguyễn Văn Toàn, Nguyễn Công Phượng, Ngân Văn Đại, Hà Đức Chinh, Phan Văn Đức, Nguyễn Tiến Linh
Yemen's 23-man final squad: Mohammed Ayash, Salem Al-Harsh, Saoud Abdullah Al-Sowadi, Rami Ali Al-Wasmani, Mohammed Fuaad Omar, Mudir Al-Radaei, Abdulaziz Al-Gumaei, Ala Addin Mahdi, Ammar Hamsan, Mohammed Boqshan, Ahmed Saeed Abdulrab, Wahid Al Khyat, Ala Al-Sasi, Hussein Ahmed Al-Ghazi, Ahmed Al-Sarori, Ahmed Nabil Dhabaan, Abdulwasea Al-Matari, Mohammed Al-Huthaifi, Ali Hafeedh, Salem Al-Omzae, Ahmed Abdullah Alos, Emad Mansoor Tawfik, Mohammed Ba Rowis
Group E
Saudi Arabia's 23-man final squad: Mohammed Al-Owais, Waleed Abdullah, Mohammed Al Yami, Mohammed Al-Breik, Yasir Al-Shahrani, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Mohammed Al-Fatil, Hamdan Al Shamrani, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Omar Hawsawi, Salman Al-Faraj, Abdullah Otayf, Salem Al-Dawsari, Hussain Al-Mogahwi, Ayman Al Khulaif, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Ibrahim Ghaleb, Yahya Al-Shehri, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Hattan Bahebri, Abdulaziz Al-Bishi, Fahad Al Muwallad, Mohammed Al-Saiari
Qatar's 23-man final squad: Saad Al Sheeb, Yousef Hassan, Mohammed Al-Bakri, Ró-Ró, Abdelkarim Hassan, Tarek Salman, Hamid Ismail, Tameem Al-Muhaza, Bassam Hisham, Boualem Khoukhi, Abdulkarim Al-Ali, Ali Afif, Ahmed Fatehi, Abdulaziz Hatem, Ahmed Moein, Karim Boudiaf, Salem Al-Hajri, Abdelrahman Moustafa, Assim Madibo, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Hassan Al-Haydos, Akram Afif, Almoez Ali
Lebanon's 23-man final squad: Mehdi Khalil, Ahmad Taktouk, Mostafa Matar, Kassem El Zein, Moataz Al Junaidi, Nour Mansour, Joan Oumari, Robert Alexander Melki, Mohamed Zein Tahan, Walid Ismail, Ali Hamam, Samir Ayass, Mohamad Haidar, Adnan Haidar, George Felix Melki, Nader Matar, Haitham Faour, Shibriko, Hassan Maatouk, Moni, Hilal El-Helwe, Rabih Ataya, Bassel Jradi
North Korea's 23-man final squad: Ri Myong-guk, Sin Hyok, Kang Ju-hyok, Kim Chol-bom, Jang Kuk-chol, Kim Song-gi, An Song-il, Ri Tong-il, Sim Hyon-jin, Ri Chang-ho, Ri Il-jin, Kim Yong-il, Kim Kyong-hun, Kang Kuk-chol, Ri Un-chol, Ri Yong-jik, Choe Song-hyok, Ri Kum-chol, Han Kwang-song, Hyok-chol, Pak Kwang-ryong, Jong Il-gwan, Rim Kwang-hyok
Group F
Japan's 23-man final squad: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt, Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu, oshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan, Yuya Osako, Yoshinori Muto, Koya Kitagawa
Uzbekistan's 23-man final squad: Ignatiy Nesterov, Sanjar Kuvvatov, Utkir Yusupov, Akmal Shorakhmedov, Dostonbek Tursunov, Farrukh Sayfiev, Anzur Ismailov, Davron Khashimov, Oleg Zoteev, Egor Krimets, Islom Tukhtakhodjaev, Ikromjon Alibaev, Odil Ahmedov, Jaloliddin Masharipov, Eldor Shomurodov, Azizbek Turgunbaev, Dostonbek Khamdamov, Fozil Musaev, Otabek Shukurov, Javokhir Sidikov, Odiljon Hamrobekov, Sardor Rashidov, Marat Bikmaev
Oman's 23-man final squad: Faiz Al-Rushaidi, Ahmed Al-Rawahi, Ammar Al-Rushaidi, Mohammed Al-Musalami, Mohammed Al-Rawahi, Mohammed Al-Balushi, Saad Al-Mukhaini, Khalid Al-Buraiki, Ali Al-Busaidi, Ahmed Mubarak Al-Mahaijri, Raed Ibrahim Saleh, Ali Al-Jabri, Mahmood Al-Mushaifri, Yaseen Al-Sheyadi, Mohsin Al-Khaldi, Jameel Al-Yahmadi, Moataz Saleh, Harib Al-Saadi, Salah Al-Yahyai, Mohammed Al-Ghassani, Khalid Al-Hajri, Mohsin Al-Ghassani, Mohammed Al-Hosni
Turkmenistan's 23-man final squad: Mammet Orazmuhammedow, Batyr Babaýew, Nikita Gorbunow, Zafar Babajanov, Güýçmyrat Annagulyýew, Mekan Saparov, Gurbangeldi Batyrov, Serdar Annaorazov, Döwran Orazalyýev, Wezirgeldi Ylýasov, Arslanmyrat Amanov, Ruslan Mingazov, Merdan Gurbanov, Ilýa Tamurkin, Altymyrat Annadurdyýev, Serdar Geldiýev, Ahmet Ataýev, Myrat Annaýev, Resul Hojaýev, Wahyt Orazsähedov, Süleýman Muhadov, Myrat Ýagşyýev, Mihail Titov
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