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Liverpool announces pre-season tour plans but face World Cup issue

Liverpool's pre-season plans have been announced, with the club set to step up their preparations for next season, with the hope that winning ways will return once again.

Luke Thrower Trends Writer

14:32, 29 Apr 2026Updated 14:47, 29 Apr 2026

Arne Slot manager / head coach of Liverpool reacts during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City and Liverpool

Liverpool has confirmed its pre-season plans, but there could be a slight clash in the fixture schedule(Image: (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images))

Liverpool has confirmed that a pre-season tour of the USA will be taking place this summer, as Arne Slot looks to prepare his side for the 2026/27 season.

The Reds have three games scheduled for late July and early August, with matches against Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds set to take place.

Those matches will be played in Nashville, New York, and Chicago, as the faithful Liverpool fans in the States get a chance to see their team in action, with the possibility of a few new faces featuring in the team.

The first clash, which comes against Sunderland, takes place on July 25, which may cause a slight problem for Slot and his staff, due to the proximity of the World Cup final.

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The last match of the tournament is scheduled for just six days prior, on July 19, meaning if some key players make a deep run into the competition, then they likely won't be available for the pre-season tour, due to their need for a break.

As many as 11 first-team stars could be involved that late, with high-ranking national teams such as the Netherlands, England, France, and Argentina all being represented within the Liverpool squad.

A general view of the FIFA World Cup trophy on display prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament and European Play-Off Draw

The World Cup is set to be hosted in the United States this summer(Image: (Photo by Marcio Machado - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images))

That may put further emphasis on the manager to make the right changes to help prepare for the next campaign, while a few academy aces may be in line for a game or two during the tour.

The trip to the US will be a change from last year's summer trip, which saw the Reds take part in games in Asia, where they faced off against AC Milan and Yokohama F. Marinos, losing the first and winning the latter of those encounters.

Another issue Liverpool's hierarchy may have to factor in is the impact the World Cup is likely to have on the summer transfer business they want to conduct.

While there could be a flurry of transfer activity before the tournament starts, there is every likelihood that players will want to sort out their future after their time in the competition has come to an end, further delaying possible signings.

If that extends close to the latter stages of the World Cup, then there may be difficulties in getting those players in for a full pre-season.

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