The group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is over, and what a group stage it was. After 72 matches of international football and a whopping 215 goals scored, we now head into the do-or-die phase of the tournament.
Liverpool have seven players representing their respective nations at the tournament, and all of them have progressed to the knockout rounds. Some players built on positive performances in their second group-stage games; other players were almost unrecognizable.
No lengthy intro for this one — let’s get straight into it.
Alisson Becker: 8/10 (Scotland 0 - 3 Brazil)
Alisson Becker made it two clean sheets in three matches to help Brazil progress to the knockout stage as group winners.
It’s a testament to Carlo Ancelotti's organization of this Brazil team that Alisson has been finding himself with nothing to do for large chunks of matches thus far, and he would have spent almost the entire first half just watching Scotland’s capitulation from the other end of the pitch.
The Scots conceded two early first-half goals due to calamitous errors around their own penalty box (although the second was ruled out for a foul in the buildup), and the Brazil goalkeeper didn’t have to make a save until stoppage time in the first half.
The second half was busier for him, and he finished the game with five saves to keep the clean sheet intact. Although Scotland did not pose a significant threat, Alisson had a couple of tricky situations where he had to make saves with a crowded penalty box in front of him, and he did his job with minimal fuss.
In the next round, Brazil face Japan after they finished second in their group, and that promises to be a sterner test for Liverpool's No. 1.
Florian Wirtz: 8/10 (Ecuador 2-1 Germany)
Florian Wirtz started again on the left flank against Ecuador, though it was clear as the match progressed that Julian Nagelsmann had given him license to drift into more central areas. With that, Wirtz was a bright spark in Germany’s 2-1 loss.
The Germans got off to a roaring start with two goals in 10 minutes, and it was Wirtz’s creativity that set up the first. Barely two minutes of football had been played before Wirtz fashioned some space on the edge of the box, then played a zippy pass across to Leroy Sane for the first goal.
It was the second assist of his tournament and the eighth assist by a Liverpool player at this World Cup. Despite the loss, we saw more of Wirtz’s usual flair here, and he played with more purpose and penetration than in the Ivory Coast match.
After playing the entirety of Germany’s first two games, the playmaker was substituted at 73 minutes. Moments after he left the field, Ecuador scored their shock winner to qualify for the knockout stage for just the second time in their history.
Wirtz left the field having contributed two key passes, three dribbles, and nonstop running to the German cause.
Despite the loss, Germany finished top of their group and are up against Paraguay in the Round of 32.
Wirtz was most likely subbed off in this game to give him some rest for the knockout stage, so you can expect that he'll be in the starting lineup in Gillette Stadium.
Virgil van Dijk: 8.5/10 (Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands )
After a disappointing 2-2 draw against Japan and an emphatic 5-1 win against Sweden, the Netherlands finished the group stage with a performance somewhere in between.
The Dutchmen got off to a great start and took the lead within three minutes courtesy of a Tunisia own goal, then doubled their lead just minutes later.
A seventh-minute free kick was floated over to the far post, where Virgil popped up to nod the ball across the six-yard box for Brian Brobbey to finish. The goal gave the Netherlands a two-goal cushion at half-time.
Virgil was visibly aggrieved to concede shortly after the break — the Netherlands' hunt for their first clean sheet of the tournament continues — but he wasn't at fault for the goal. And at the final whistle, the skipper’s stat sheet included a colossal eight clearances and a 95.3% pass-success rate.
The Netherlands face Morocco next in Monterey. After bagging six goals in the group stage, four of which came in their last match, the African side will be a tougher test for the Dutch defensive line.
Ryan Gravenberch: 6/10 (Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands)
Ryan Gravenberch’s form seems to be tapering off in this tournament. He followed a two-assist opening performance with a solid box-to-box display in the second match, but in the final group game against Tunisia, he was average.
He made two interceptions, drew one foul, won one aerial duel, made one tackle, and completed 91.8% of his passes.
Although he completed 90 minutes for the second consecutive match, expect Gravenberch to start again when the Netherlands face Morocco in their crucial last 32 matchup.
Underdog side Haiti exploited some holes in the Moroccan midfield to score twice in their final group match, and that bodes well for Gravenberch, but Morocco will be a tough challenge regardless.
They progressed to the knockout stage comfortably by finishing undefeated in their group, so the Oranje will need another big performance from the midfielder.
Cody Gakpo: 5/10 (Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands)
Will the real Cody Gakpo please stand up?
Gravenberch was unimpressive against Tunisia; Gakpo was even less impressive. And with the hot-and-cold form the Liverpool winger has shown thus far in the tournament, it’s difficult to know what to expect from him.
Cody scored two goals and assisted one in a stunning performance vs. Sweden, and he would have been disappointed not to build upon that against a Tunisia team that finished the group stage with three losses and 12 goals conceded.
The list of positive contributions on his Tunisia stat sheet is short: He had an 89.3% pass-completion percentage and made one key pass.
His two shots failed to hit the target, and he found a teammate with only one of his four attempted crosses.
He was substituted after 84 minutes.
In the knockout match against Morocco next, Dutch fans will be hoping the occasion brings out the Gakpo who stunned Sweden, rather than the Gakpo who faced Japan and Tunisia.
Alexander Isak: 6/10 (Japan 1-1 Sweden)
Alexander Isak is another Liverpool player whose performances have tailed off as the tournament has progressed to this point. There was little he could do against the imperious Netherlands side that turned up at Houston Stadium for their last match, but here against Japan, he didn’t pull up any trees either.
Isak has been guilty of going AWOL for large chunks of matches at this World Cup, but one thing that hasn’t waned is his accuracy.
Since the tournament began, the No. 9 has hit the target with five of his six shots on goal. In this match, he hit two shots — both on target — won one aerial duel, and played one key pass.
Sweden finished the group in third place and will face the daunting prospect of taking on Kylian Mbappe and Co. in the last 32.
Against a French team that conceded two goals across their three group-stage games, Isak will know that he won’t get many opportunities to make an impact. He’ll want to keep up his accurate shooting to give Sweden the best possible chance of causing an upset against one of the favourites to win the Jules Rimet Trophy.
Alexis Mac Allister: 7.5/10 (Jordan 1- 3 Argentina)
For a player who only came off the bench to help secure the win for Argentina, Mac Allister showed up many of his Liverpool teammates in his final match of the group stage.
Mac Allister has been the heartbeat of the Argentina midfield so far in this tournament, and with the Albiceleste already qualified for the next round, he was given a deserved rest from the starting lineup.
He was subbed on in the 60th minute with the scoreline 2-1, but he had no intention of just seeing the game out.
Alexis wanted action.
The midfielder got stuck into three tackles and made one interception in the middle of the park. He also drew three fouls in the short time he was on the field — none of his teammates drew as many fouls, and that includes those who played all 90 minutes.
Before this match, it was already confirmed that Argentina would face Cape Verde in the last 32. After they shocked the world to finish undefeated in a group that included Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, the World Cup debutants will arrive in Miami sky-high on confidence and could cause Argentina some problems.
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