Over the years, Liverpool Football Club have only seen a handful of contracted players win the World Cup while representing the Reds on the global stage. From Ian Callaghan, Gerry Byrne and Roger Hunt winning it with England in 1966, to Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina achieving immortality with Spain in 2010, it is an exclusive list.
While other World Cup winners have played at Anfield, the five names above are the only ones to have won it as active Liverpool players. In 2026, there are several candidates that could join this elite group.
Let's go through some of the current Reds' stars that have the best chance of winning a World Cup this year as a serving Liverpool player.
Florian Wirtz - Germany
We start with the second most expensive signing in club history, fresh off an up-and-down debut season in England where he showed flashes of his brilliance, but not consistently enough.
However, his form and class for the national team has not wavered during this transition. Wirtz remains the creative fulcrum for Germany who enter the 2026 World Cup as one of the pre-tournament favorites.
Flanked by talented players like Kai Havertz, Leroy Sane, Leon Goretzka, Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich among others, the Germans have yet another formidable side this time around.
If Flo can play at the top of his game, they should have more than enough to make a deep run and contend for the ultimate goal in a month's time.
Alexis Mac Allister - Argentina
Macca won the 2022 World Cup as a key cog in the Argentine midfield. Six months later he joined Liverpool for a modest fee from Brighton & Hove Albion.
He is very much a contender to become a two-time World champion, but for the first time representing Anfield on the biggest stages.
Argentina once again brings a stacked squad to the event, led by the GOAT Lionel Messi for one final time. Julian Alvarez is also one of the most dangerous forwards around, so he will be a name to follow.
Mac Allister will be relied upon to be an important piece in the midfield alongside Enzo Fernandez. While it was a tough third campaign for Macca this season, the talent is still there, and perhaps being around his countrymen will be the reset his game needs to get back to its top levels.
Alisson Becker - Brazil
Every major tournament they participate in sees the Brazilians as a default favorite. The amount of talent flowing through their system is nearly unmatched.
Alisson has been the undisputed No. 1 in goal for Brazil at the last two World Cups, and looks set to lead the way at his third. Despite an injury riddled campaign, he remains one of the best shot-stoppers in the world and his one-on-one work is still elite.
Superstar wingers such as Raphina, Vinícius Jr. and Neymar are all hoping to spearhead the attack for Carlo Ancelotti this summer.
Having Marquinhos and Gabriel defending in front of him will certainly help Alisson, but if he is on his game, this side could hit new heights as the tournament progresses.
Brazil v Panama - Friendlies
Brazil v Panama - Friendlies | Anadolu/GettyImages
Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo - Netherlands
The somewhat surprising omission of Jeremie Frimpong from this squad meant only a trio of Liverpool players would suit up for the Oranje at World Cup 2026.
Still, the Dutch are largely seen as a strong challenger for the title, but not one of the heavy favorites.
Van Dijk will once again captain his country and will need to call on his many years of top-level experience to get this side moving in the right direction. Gakpo recently hit the 20 goal and 50 appearance threshold for his country, so he will be hoping to put a difficult club season behind him.
He was a star at the 2022 World Cup, which very much led to strong interest from the Reds, who would sign him the first chance they could following the tournament's conclusion.
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman will be hoping Gakpo finds his confidence again, because when he is at his best, it unlocks so much for the Dutch attack.
Gravenberch was fine this season for Liverpool, but he could not carry over his week-to-week consistency in what was a tough season for everyone. However, he has an important role for his national team and will be tasked with turning defense into attack quickly.
Honorable Mentions
Alexander Isak - Sweden
The Swedes could definitely qualify for the Round of 32, or even the Round of 16 given a great draw, but the odds are low that Isak can score enough goals to get Graham Potter's side very deep.
Isak, Viktor Gyökeres and Anthony Elanga are very elite attacking threats, but the rest of the squad lacks much high-end talent.
From a Liverpool perspective, we will be looking to see if Isak can score some goals, build his confidence back, and return to Anfield fully fit and ready for the Andoni Iraola era.
Wataru Endo - Japan
Wataru saw his club season end prematurely do to a nasty injury, but he has worked hard to give himself a chance to represent his country in North America.
Japan have gotten some signature results in recent years, but injuries have hampered them coming into this event. Their tactical discipline and work-rate might be enough to cause a surprise or two, but a deep run does not seem likely.
Interestingly; Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands have all been drawn in the same group, so Liverpool fans could know exactly how a lot of our players are doing by checking there. As it is, the Reds have multiple contenders to become their next active player to win a World Cup.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Follow