As Liverpool’s – and the UK’s – record signing, Alexander Isak was always going to take to the pitch at Anfield with an unprecedented weight of expectation. Poor form and a devastating injury would add to that weight, and the Sweden international would exemplify the problem that Arne Slot’s side has experienced throughout a limp title defence.
Prior to the striker’s leg break in December, he had scored just two Premier League goals and three in all competitions. However, in the first three fixtures after his return, the former Newcastle man claimed a further Premier League goal in just 172 minutes of action. In those three fixtures, the lanky frontman helped the Reds claim three wins in a row.
His return to action could not have come at a better time for both Liverpool and the 26-year-old. Sweden defied the odds under Graham Potter to make it to the World Cup through the playoffs, booking their ticket to North America this summer. Isak will certainly be in the reckoning to be on the plane, and it leaves many wondering: could this be the moment that sparks Isak’s Liverpool career to life?
Struggling Sweden a Wildcard for World Cup in North America
The Swedes had a catastrophic World Cup qualification campaign. They would finish at the bottom of their group with just two draws and four goals to their name. Isak, despite being fit for the campaign, would not score a single goal in fixtures against Slovenia, Kosovo, and Switzerland. It was a disappointing period for all involved in Swedish football.
It was only their Nations League performances that bought them a ticket into the playoffs, where they would defeat both Ukraine and Poland to progress to the finals. Their odds of coming out of their group stage World Cup fixtures against the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Japan have been set at just 7/2. That marks them as third-favourites.
It is evidence that the Swedes are unfancied due to their struggles in the lead-up to the tournament. However, with an expanded World Cup format, finishing third in the group could be enough to progress. If they can clinch a knockout fixture, Isak may have more time to prove himself on the world stage.
A Rejuvenating Tournament Could be Just the Tonic
Isak has returned to the Liverpool fold at a difficult time. The Reds have been out of the title race for months, and the current battle is to qualify for the Champions League. However, with so few matches remaining, it is difficult for the striker to establish any real form. Instead, it feels much more like he is performing a cameo role in a season that has already fizzled out.
The World Cup, by contrast, could be the stretch of games that he needs to get his goalscoring touch in full flow. Should Sweden make it past the groups, he will play four games at a minimum, and while that also seems small, an unexpected deep run with fixtures against opposition with leaky defences could see the striker’s confidence boosted by a tilt at the top goalscorer award.
Harry Kane is an elite striker, of course, but has often gone into tournaments on the back of injuries and slowing form. In the last four international tournaments, he has still managed to score 15 goals. That explosive form has seen him establish his status as one of Europe’s greatest finishers, carrying his goalscoring into his domestic performances. Isak will look to that as a personal aim.
Whether or not the 2026 World Cup will provide a shot in the arm for the Liverpool striker is unknown. The Reds’ record signing will have to keep fit, establish his credentials to be on the plane, and settle into the squad. Those are no small tasks, but if he can achieve all that and produce the goods in front of the world’s eyes, we could see the Alexander Isak that was meant to fire Liverpool to another league title.
