13 Liverpool stars' World Cup chances rated after Hugo Ekitike injury
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Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike will miss the 2026 World Cup but up to 11 other Reds players may represent their countries at the summer tournament in North AmericaHugo Ekitike will miss the 2026 World Cup (Image: Getty Images)Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike will miss the 2026 World Cup after suffering an Achilles injury against his old club PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday.Ekitike was regularly featuring for France in qualifiers, either off to bench or in place of a rotating Kylian Mbappe.11 different nations qualified for the World Cup featuring the international allegiances of Liverpool players. Not all Reds players in the squad will make those coveted World Cup roster spots — mainly looking at the England players — but some are locks, including the three international captains.Here is Liverpool.com's projection for which Reds players will go to the 2026 World Cup:READ MORE: 2 wildcard free agents Liverpool could target after Hugo Ekitike blowREAD MORE: Arne Slot's 2026 Liverpool excuses ranked — Wind, xG and Pep GuardiolaWorld Cup CaptainsAndy Robertson, Scotland — Robertson is on his way out of Merseyside this summer, with the lung-busting left-back poised to join Tottenham Hotspur (should Spurs stay up) in the summer.
He'll captain Scotland this summer at the World Cup, the Tartan Army's first appearance since 1998.Wataru Endo, Japan — Endo has missed the second half of the Liverpool campaign, but Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu said he expects his captain to be fit for the World Cup. "In order to play in the World Cup, he, the club, and we all share the same understanding," he said of Endo's recovery.Virgil van Dijk, Netherlands — The Dutch captain will lead out the Netherlands for a fourth straight international tournament after the Orange missed consecutive tournaments (2016 Euros and 2018 World Cup).Wataru Endo for Japan at the 2022 World Cup(Image: Getty Images)World Cup LocksAlisson, Brazil — The Brazilian starting goalkeeper has held onto his starting spot for the South American giant since 2018, despite the presence of Ederson.
2026 will be Alisson's third World Cup.Mohamed Salah, Egypt — Salah won't be a Liverpool player by the time the World Cup rolls around, but he will represent Egypt for a second time at the world's biggest stage.Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo, Netherlands — At one point, both of these players seemed like locks for the Dutch starting lineup. Gakpo notably performs strongly for the national team — he was the top scorer at the 2024 Euros.Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister meet at the 2022 World Cup(Image: Getty Images)Florian Wirtz, Germany — Wirtz has enjoyed an up-and-down first season for Liverpool, but he's maintained his spot in the German lineup: he scored a brace in his last time out for his national team.Alexander Isak, Sweden — Isak missed out on Sweden's European World Cup playoff through injury, but he will likely still start for his nation alongside fellow Premier League striker Viktor Gyokeres at the World Cup.Ibrahima Konate, France — Konate will be Liverpool's lone French representative at the 2026 World Cup — he started the 2022 semifinal for his nation.