With the 2026 World Cup set to kick off in mere hours, there is no doubt that Liverpool fans will be keeping tabs on their favourite Reds representing their respective countries. However, football’s biggest event also gives fans and clubs an opportunity to evaluate transfer targets and appreciate the special stories we only get every four years.
Throw in the expansion to 48 teams, and you have over a thousand players and narratives to choose from each day. With that in mind, today we will be highlighting an important group that all Liverpool fans should have a keen interest in during the World Cup.
There are clearly many more players to keep your eyes on, but the group I have put together today could create some fantastic fresh narratives going forward and give that special feeling we all want watching this game.
Here are five World Cup players that should be on your radar.
Yan Diomande - Ivory Coast
The electric 19-year old winger is the subject of strong Liverpool transfer interest as the tournament begins on Thursday.
The Reds are said to have made good progress on the player side of things, and they believe he has a shared interest of coming to Anfield. In addition, the Reds have contacted Diomande's club, RB Leipzig, to begin talks over potential costs.
Coming into the World Cup, Diomande is one of his nation's most important attacking options, and if he can produce on the biggest stage, that would be good to see that he can handle the pressure.
A caveat to that though is if he does explode on the global scene as some have tipped him to do, it could put Leipzig in a stronger position to demand a higher transfer fee. That is a risk I would be okay taking, if it meant Diomande would join Liverpool full of confidence after a good run with Ivory Coast.
He is also just a terrific player to watch and he will surely have a few moments of brilliance in North America.
Alexander Isak - Sweden
In a recent pre-tournament friendly, Isak scored a wonderful goal against Norway,. It was moment of class that reminded all of us why Liverpool made him the most expensive British signing ever.
He had a frustrating debut season at Anfield to say the least. Having missed out on preseason, he was never able to really catch up with the rest of the squad, and this was compounded by a nasty leg injury he suffered in the winter while scoring against Tottenham.
When he was fit and playing, he was often invisible on the pitch. This was a combination of Arne Slot's failed system, a lack of fitness, but also Isak not taking things by the reigns as much as he can.
Now fit and firing, he will look to spearhead Sweden's attack in what might as well be called "Liverpool Group". We will see him compete against fellow Reds on both the Netherlands and Japan.
If he can score some goals, and perhaps get his nation into the Round of 32, that would be a great launching point for a dominant 2026/27 campaign.
Joel Ordonez - Ecuador
It is no secret that Liverpool have lacked defensive depth for awhile now. The backline was shambolic at times this season, and mediocre at best.
Virgil van Dijk is entering his mid-thirties and can't do it forever, Ibrahima Konate has left and there are only a few youngsters in place to fill the void.
That is where the 22-year old Ordonez could be a perfect option. The Reds have been previously credited with an interest in the Club Brugge defender, but a big performance at the World Cup would elevate him to perhaps the next tier of transfer targets.
He's a physically imposing central defender, and with Ecuador tipped to make a darkhorse run at the World Cup, we could see him competing against the best of the best before making a move for him.
This is one of those "Player puts their name on the map" situations that often arise from tournaments like this one.
Alexis Mac Allister - Argentina
Macca is vying to win his second Word Cup following his nation's success in the 2022 edition.
This is an interesting one to follow as I will be keenly watching to see if Mac Allister can recapture some of the elite form we did not see much of this season. In his third campaign at Liverpool, our No. 10 plateaued, and the results suffered for it.
Reuniting with his Argentina mates could be just what the doctor ordered to get him back on track. He still plays an important role in their midfield, and along with Enzo Fernandez could be tasked with shouldering the hardworking sectors of the game to free up one Leo Messi.
If Mac Allister can play well and Argentina makes a deep run as many expect, I could see the Player of the Season candidate from 2024/25 making a return at Liverpool.
There are some slight rumors that the club would be open to moving him this summer as well. A big World Cup performance would certainly raise the asking price at the very least if he were to move.
Luis Diaz - Colombia
Is this somewhat of a nostalgia inclusion? Sure. Is it unwarranted? Not at all. Lucho is coming off a dominant first season with Bayern Munich following his summer transfer from Liverpool in 2025.
He scored 26 goals and recorded 23 assists across 51 matches for the Bavarian side. Contrast that with the 15 combined G/A we saw from Cody Gakpo at Liverpool, and it is clear to many that the wrong man was allowed depart.
While Gakpo was stalling out at Anfield, Diaz hit new heights and now he enters this World Cup as the face of a Colombia side that are considered to be contenders for a deep run in North America.
He is the driving force of their attack, and if he can carry his Bayern form into this tournament, a lot of Liverpool fans will be left asking "What if?". I'm okay with that, as I hold no ill-will to Lucho and I want him to succeed. If he can score some banger goals along the way, the better.
Honorable Mentions: Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Michael Olise (France), Florian Wirtz (Germany), Arda Guler (Türkiye), Antonio Nusa (Norway)
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