To be eligible to participate in the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, athletes must be 14 years of age or older as of the date of the Opening Ceremony (31 October 2026) and must be 17 years of age or younger on the date of the Closing Ceremony (13 November 2026), and they must have been listed on the World Aquatics Rankings at any time during the period from 1 February 2025 to 23 May 2026.