FeatureWorld Cup 2026 preview: Eight Liverpool players about to embark on group stage
Liverpool will be represented by eight players at the 2026 World Cup.
The tournament, which will be played across the USA, Canada and Mexico, has been expanded to include 48 teams and its group stage gets under way on Thursday (June 11).
Here is all the information about the Reds' involvement.
(All kick-off times are BST)
Alisson Becker (Brazil)
Alisson has been called up for his third World Cup and is set to be the first Liverpool player to appear at this latest edition.
Former Red Fabinho, who now plays for Al-Ittihad, has also been included in Carlo Ancelotti's 26-man squad.
The Selecao kick off their Group C campaign by taking on 2022 semi-finalists Morocco.
The five-time winners then face Haiti before completing the phase with a clash against Andy Robertson's Scotland.
Brazil's fixtures...
- v Morocco – June 13, 11pm
- v Haiti – June 20, 1.30am
- v Scotland – June 24, 11pm
Wataru Endo (Japan)
Endo has recovered in time from the foot injury he sustained with the Reds in February to captain his nation at the tournament.
"It wasn't an easy way to recover from the injury but I believed in myself to make this happen and will keep working hard to get fit for the games," he said after the squad was announced.
The 33-year-old will encounter four Liverpool teammates in Group F as Japan meet the Netherlands, Tunisia and then Sweden.
Endo made four appearances at the most recent World Cup, when the Samurai Blue advanced out of a group containing Spain and Germany but were eliminated on penalties in the Round of 16 by Croatia.
Japan's fixtures...
- v Netherlands – June 14, 9pm
- v Tunisia – June 21, 5am
- v Sweden – June 26, 12am
Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
Gravenberch is the only one of Liverpool's Dutch trio yet to experience a World Cup.
His clubmates went to the quarter-finals with the Oranje last time in Qatar, suffering a shootout defeat by eventual winners Argentina.
Gakpo was on the scoresheet in all three of their group-stage matches, a month or so prior to agreeing to switch to Anfield from PSV Eindhoven.
The Netherlands begin this tournament against Endo's Japan before moving on to encounters with Sweden and Tunisia.
Netherlands' fixtures...
- v Japan – June 14, 9pm
- v Sweden – June 20, 6pm
- v Tunisia – June 26, 12am
Alexander Isak (Sweden)
Isak is another Red who will be relishing his first taste of World Cup football, after his country failed to qualify in 2022.
They secured their spot for the 2026 tournament via the play-offs, which they entered on account of their UEFA Nations League ranking.
Graham Potter was appointed their head coach on a short-term basis back in October but his deal was extended until 2030 in March.
Sweden's fixtures...
- v Tunisia – June 15, 3am
- v Netherlands – June 20, 6pm
- v Japan – June 26, 12am
Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina)
Mac Allister and his compatriots are seeking to ensure Argentina become the third country to win back-to-back men's World Cups.
Brazil, in 1958 and 1962, were the last to do so, after Italy had first achieved the feat in 1934 and 1938.
Argentina will once again be captained by Lionel Messi, who will take part in his sixth World Cup at the age of 38.
Mac Allister, then of Brighton & Hove Albion, was on the bench for their 2022 opener – a 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia – but then started the following six games on the way to glory.
In 2026, Lionel Scaloni's men open Group J against Algeria, and then meet Austria and Jordan.
Argentina's fixtures...
- v Algeria – June 17, 2am
- v Austria – June 22, 6pm
- v Jordan – June 28, 3am
Florian Wirtz (Germany)
Four years on from missing the last World Cup with a serious knee injury, Wirtz is hoping to finally be able to tick off a career ambition.
"There's nothing bigger than the World Cup," the 23-year-old said recently. "It's what you fantasise about as a kid. If I get to play at this year's event, which looks likely, it'll be a childhood dream come true."
After lifting the trophy in 2014, Die Mannschaft failed to progress from the group stage in 2018 and 2022.
Standing in their way of the knockouts on this occasion in Group E are Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
Germany's fixtures...
- v Curacao – June 14, 6pm
- v Ivory Coast – June 20, 9pm
- v Ecuador – June 25, 9pm