The first two Arsenal players have officially booked their tickets to this summer's World Cup, with Viktor Gyokeres and William Saliba earning spots in their respective national squads—and plenty more Gunners are expected to join them in the coming days.
Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres was the first to get the nod, with his country confirming its final squad on Tuesday. Then, on Thursday night, France followed suit, announcing that defensive stalwart William Saliba will be part of their tournament campaign. It's a fitting early boost for Arsenal fans, as both players have been in fine form this season.
The momentum isn't slowing down. Belgium is reportedly set to unveil its squad on Friday afternoon, and all eyes will be on Leandro Trossard, who's hoping to make the cut. If he does, that'll be three Arsenal names in the World Cup mix within just a few days.
Meanwhile, Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte reports that Arsenal's Brazilian trio—Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus—have all made Carlo Ancelotti's 55-man preliminary squad. That list will be trimmed to just 26 names on Monday, May 18th, so the three Gunners are still very much in contention for a spot on the plane.
Looking ahead, next week promises a flurry of announcements. Portugal (with Fabio Vieira in the mix), Norway (Martin Odegaard), Germany (Kai Havertz), and England (Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, and Myles Lewis-Skelly) are all expected to reveal their squads. Spain (David Raya, Mikel Merino, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and others) and the Netherlands (Jurrien Timber) will follow the week after, while Ecuador's announcement date remains unconfirmed for now.
So, to recap: Gyokeres (Sweden) and Saliba (France) are confirmed. With Trossard potentially next up and a host of other Arsenal stars waiting in the wings, this could shape up to be a memorable World Cup for the club's faithful.
