Jurgen Klopp has publicly backed Florian Wirtz to emerge as one of the standout players at the 2026 World Cup after a testing first season at Liverpool. Wirtz struggled to settle in a new league and country and endured intense scrutiny, including being branded a “little boy” by Gary Neville after a heavy defeat to Manchester City. Still, he is not viewed as the club’s poorest summer signing of 2025; that label has been reserved for Isak.

The Germany international finished the season with 17 goals and assists across all competitions for the Reds. Klopp believes the experience will serve Wirtz well and that the player can hit a higher level with Germany this summer. Wirtz started throughout qualifying, primarily on the left wing, and recently scored twice and assisted twice in a friendly victory over Switzerland.

“I hope Flo Wirtz will have a fantastic, fantastic World Cup,” Klopp told BBC Sport. “I think he has everything you need to be a standout player. I don’t want to put any pressure on the boy. I really think he showed already how good he can be in a difficult season.”

German supporters will hope Wirtz can lift his game as the four-time champions look to recover from the shock group-stage eliminations of 2018 and 2022. Liverpool are likely to supply a significant contingent to the tournament in North America: the club could have 12 players called up, including Wirtz. Squad numbers were reduced by injury and selection issues; Hugo Ekitiké is ruled out until 2027 with an Achilles injury and Curtis Jones is unlikely to be selected by England.

Klopp reflected on the personal connections that many former Liverpool players will bring to the competition. “I hope that Andy Robertson and Alisson Becker can enjoy that when they meet each other [for Scotland vs. Brazil]. Can you imagine that you play together for such a long time and Scotland qualifies first time, I don’t know since when, for the World Cup, and you meet each other, your friends, in a game like that? I mean, that must be one of the happiest moments in your life.

“I wish Virgil [van Dijk] will have a great tournament. I really wish for Mo [Salah] that he will have a great tournament. I honestly wish that Sadio [Mané] will have a great tournament. [Alexis Mac Allister], if he won, if they win it again. It was so nice to see him with a medal around his neck.

“So many [of my] former players are part of the World Cup, which is really, really nice.”

Those former Liverpool players named in connection with the tournament include Alisson Becker (Brazil), Wataru Endo (Japan), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Jeremie Frimpong (Netherlands), Ryan Gravenberch (Netherlands), Ibrahima Konaté (France), Florian Wirtz (Germany), Alexander Isak (Sweden), Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt).

Four Premier League fixtures remain and the battle for Champions League qualification is reaching its final phase. Manchester United sit closest following Monday night’s victory over Brentford, which saw them move 11 points clear of sixth place. The points totals heading into the run-in read: Man Utd 61, Liverpool 58, Aston Villa 58 and Chelsea 48.

Man Utd
Liverpool (H)
Sunderland (A)
Nott’m Forest (H)
Brighton (A)

Liverpool
Man Utd (A)
Chelsea (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Brentford (H)

Aston Villa
Tottenham (H)
Burnley (A)
Liverpool (H)
Man City (A)

Chelsea
Nott’m Forest (H)
Liverpool (A)
Tottenham (H)
Sunderland (A)

Chelsea have a significant deficit to overturn. In fact, given they’re 10 points behind fifth-placed Villa, Opta’s fabled supercomputer offers them just a 0.58% chance of qualifying for the Champions League. “Even victory in all their remaining matches is unlikely to be enough.” On paper the Blues have winnable fixtures, including a trip to Anfield and home matches against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham, but the numbers leave them dependent on others. “They would need Villa to come fifth in the Premier League and win the Europa League, while also finishing sixth themselves.”

Liverpool should be comfortable but their schedule is testing: trips to Manchester United and Aston Villa sandwich a home meeting with Chelsea, and they finish at home to Brentford. The Reds are eight points clear of sixth currently. “The Reds need a maximum of five more points to ensure their qualification.”

Aston Villa sit level on points with Liverpool but behind on goal difference and will aim to clinch qualification quickly, mindful of the Europa League semifinal first leg with Nottingham Forest on Thursday. Their next two fixtures, at home to Tottenham and away at Burnley, are opportunities to move closer to safety in the top five before tougher tests follow.

The run-up to the 2026 World Cup is shaping as much around rehabilitation as selection. Across Europe several of the game’s most influential internationals are carrying injuries that have already curtailed club seasons or left their participation in doubt.

Lamine Yamal’s hamstring problem has ruled him out for the remainder of the season with Barcelona, though the club have insisted he should feature at the World Cup. Estêvão and Arda Güler have also suffered hamstring injuries and been ruled out for the rest of their club campaigns at Chelsea and Real Madrid respectively. Reports say Güler is still set to appear at his first World Cup.

Some long-serving figures have been struck down too. Luka Modrić suffered a fractured cheekbone in AC Milan’s match with Juventus and will miss the rest of the Serie A season. Cristian Romero suffered a season-ending knee injury in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge of Tottenham and was in tears at the time; his availability for the tournament remains unclear.

Mohamed Salah’s club season ended with an unflattering final touch for Liverpool, and his previous World Cup involvement in Russia was affected by fitness concerns after a dislocated shoulder in the Champions League final. Éder Militão has again gone down with a hamstring issue and has been ruled out for the rest of the club season alongside Güler, with recent reports suggesting his injury may be worse than first feared.

Mikel Merino has been absent since undergoing surgery on a fractured foot in January but is expected to be considered by Spain. Dejan Kulusevski is still working his way back after nearly a year out and admitted: “I haven’t played in a year. I know what the chances are,” and added, “But if there is one person on the planet who can do this, I would bet on myself. And we are not just going there to participate. Sweden will aim to be one of the best.”

Other concerns include Matthijs de Ligt, sidelined since November with a back problem but back on the grass at Carrington, Reece James with a fresh hamstring setback, Mohammed Kudus whose comeback was ended by a new quad issue and Joško Gvardiol after a broken leg in the new year. For all of them the coming weeks will determine whether they travel in June.