The 2026 World Cup will capture the attention of people all over the planet, with Liverpool players among those likely to catch the eye in North America. However, while enjoying the Final in New Jersey, our thoughts will already be turning to the question of how the events in the US affect Liverpool’s chances of a title win.
The Possible Feel-Good Bounce
Football fans all over the world will be urging on their favourite players almost as much as their home countries. No Liverpool player is mentioned in Sports Illustrated’s list of the best players going to the World Cup, but that doesn’t mean they won’t make an impact. Liverpool fans will be keen to see if Alexis MacAllister can help Argentina retain their trophy, while France, Colombia, and the Netherlands will all be relying heavily on players from Anfield to work their magic.
A player who wins the World Cup immediately gets a lift for the domestic season. Being a world champion is something that every player dreams of, and it’s easy to imagine how they would return to Liverpool feeling full of confidence after lifting the famous trophy over their head. Fans will also look at these winners in a new light, with an added level of respect.
The growth of football across the planet has been accompanied by the rise of sports betting and fantasy sports contests. This means that Americans looking for the best Underdog promo for new players might be as interested in the EPL contest as they are in the NBA or the NFL. They’ll be focusing on how well the likes of Luis DÃaz, Ibrahima Konaté, and Virgil van Dijk have done in the tournament when assessing their picks for the upcoming season.
The World Cup taking place in North America may cement football’s place as a leading fantasy sport in the US. While this market has traditionally been dominated by American sports such as American football and basketball, a new audience is likely to be introduced to soccer this year, giving them a new sport to focus on when making their weekly picks.
The Freshness Factor
Of course, we also need to look at the flip side of the coin when deciding which players will start 2026/27 strongly. Those players who don’t travel to North America, and those who get knocked out in the first round, are possibly gaining an advantage by returning to domestic fresher. Playing all the way to the final in New Jersey on the 19th of July is a huge physical and mental strain for any player, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some of those who reach the latter stages start the EPL challenge slowly.
Which home birds could have a big impact on the new league season? Dominik Szoboszlai is one of the stars who misses out, with Hungary falling to Ireland in the final group stage game. We’ll never know whether Federico Chiesa or Giovanni Leoni might have gone to America this summer, as Italy lost a dramatic penalty shoot-out to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This freshness factor could be vital when other players return from a draining couple of months on the other side of the Atlantic. Expect to see soft tissue injuries and other overuse issues lingering for the players who play the full tournament. As far back as 2018, the World Cup hangover was identified by JLT Specialty as a major risk.
Identifying New Stars: The World Cup Scouting Combine
World Cups give fans and scouts a chance to see how rising stars perform at the highest level. By comparing potential signings to established EPL stars in high-profile games, Liverpool will be able to see whether a signing is likely to make the transition to Anfield smoothly.
The World Cup is something every sports fan looks forward to, but Liverpool fans are sure to have their loyalties split when they take into account all of these factors before each game.
