Liverpool US Tour: Wirtz & Van Dijk Return Dates Set

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Andoni Iraola’s pre-season plans at Liverpool have been handed a significant, if bittersweet, boost. While it was a Monday to forget for a number of the club’s elite stars out in the knockout stages of the World Cup, the silver lining for Liverpool’s new boss is clear.

World Cup heartache breeds pre-season dividend Liverpool initially had eight players heading into the tournament’s first knockout stage, but a chaotic day of VAR controversy and penalty shootout drama saw that contingent sliced exactly in half. Florian Wirtz’s testing year took another difficult turn as four-time world champions Germany fell at the first hurdle against Paraguay.

The Netherlands’ last three World Cups all ended on penalties ? pic.twitter.com/iRkMKMvah7 — ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 30, 2026 The US Tour Liverpool are scheduled to fly out across the Atlantic in the week leading up to their opening Stateside friendly against Sunderland on July 25. The full list of players confirmed for the start of Liverpool’s pre-season training includes: Position Players Reporting July 13 Goalkeepers Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman, Armin Pecsi Defenders Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni, Jeremy Jacquet, Milos Kerkez, Kostas Tsimikas, Jeremie Frimpong, Calvin Ramsay Midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Trey Nyoni, Stefan Bajcetic, James McConnell Forwards Federico Chiesa, Rio Ngumoha, Jayden Danns It is safe to say that while Iraola would have preferred his players to experience the ultimate glory on the world stage, the reality of their premature exits provides an undeniable structural advantage for Liverpool’s summer preparations.