A host of Liverpool stars will be competing for one of the biggest prizes in sport when the World Cup gets underway on June 11
Florian Wirtz will be representing Germany at the World Cup
Florian Wirtz will be representing Germany at the World Cup(Image: Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
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Whilst Liverpool Football Club prepares to appoint Andoni Iroala as its new head coach, a large group of the playing squad are focusing their attention away from club football.
The World Cup officially gets underway across the Atlantic on June 11 and international squads have already started to arrive in Mexico, Canada and the United States. For the first time in 40 years, there are no Liverpool players in the England squad, but the Reds still have strong representation at the tournament.
Officially, 11 Anfield stars will begin the World Cup, but barring any new signings it will finish with eight, as the contracts of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate will expire mid-tournament.
Alexis Mac Allister was a World Cup winner last time out with Argentina in Qatar and he is back once more to defend the trophy. Lionel Messi owns the No. 10 shirt for the World Champions, so Mac Allister will be wearing No.20, just as he did four years ago.
Liverpool's No.1 Alisson Becker is the first choice for Brazil these days, and he will be donning the same number for Carlo Ancelotti's team this summer. Liverpool fans will be hoping that he is still playing at Anfield by the start of next season after strong links to Juventus.
Salah will see out his current contract in an Egyptian shirt but will be switching from the No.11 he famously wore for the Reds to No. 10 for the Pharaohs.
Konate is another player who has kicked his last ball for Liverpool but he will be gunning for World Cup glory with France. The big centre-back will wear No. 15 for Les Bleus.
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You can't have a World Cup without the Germans and Florian Wirtz will be in their squad as they chase a fifth World Cup triumph. They are also the only European nation to win in South America, winning outright at the Brazilian World Cup in 2014. Wirtz will be wearing No.17 for this one.
Wataru Endo has endured a difficult season with the Reds, which was cut short by a serious injury, but he returned to action in time to make the Japan squad and will don the No.6 shirt
Virgil van Dijk is one of three Liverpool stars in the Netherlands squad and will captain the side. The Reds skipper will wear his usual No.4 shirt during the World Cup. Meanwhile, Ryan Gravenberch has been given No.8 and Cody Gakpo is No.11.
Robertson will finish off his Liverpool career in style, captaining Scotland to their first World Cup finals appearance since 1998. The decorated left-back will wear No.3 as he leads the Tartan Army into a new frontier.
Finally, fans will get a chance to see what Alexander Isak is really capable of after he was included in the Sweden squad. The Reds' record signing showed a glimpse of his best on Monday evening with a brilliant goal in a friendly against Norway. Isak will wear No.9 for the Swedes, just like he does for Liverpool.
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