World Cup 2026 is well underway, and Liverpool could be eyeing up players who make a major impact in the summer tournament. The World Cup often sees its brightest stars make transfers once the tournament concludes, and Liverpool have pounced on eye-catchers in the past. World Cup 2026 will likely be no exception.
World Cup 2026: Potential New Superstars
Some of the world's biggest names are currently competing in North America, and as always, there will be some players who enter the competition relatively unknown but leave it with a queue of suitors. Yan Diomande has already been the subject of endless transfer speculation. The RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast winger impressed in his nation's opening win against Ecuador, intensifying the rumours that Andoni Iraola's Reds could make a move.
This will not be the only ace whose stock skyrockets after World Cup heroics, and the ECHO takes a look back at some players Liverpool snapped up post-tournament.
Cody Gakpo - World Cup 2022
Cody Gakpo is still a pivotal member of the Liverpool squad, having arrived under Jurgen Klopp in January 2023. His transfer came after World Cup 2022 in Qatar, where he was a crucial part of the Netherlands' run to the quarter-finals. The winger scored in all three group matches, becoming the first Dutchman to achieve this feat. Clubs immediately came sniffing, and Manchester United were reportedly interested in the then-PSV man. But it was Liverpool who secured a £35 million deal, and Gakpo remains one of his country's leading lights, starting for them at this tournament.
Xherdan Shaqiri - World Cup 2018
Four years before Gakpo was snapped up, Xherdan Shaqiri, who had just been relegated with Stoke City, played his way onto Liverpool's radar. Shaqiri was irreplaceable for a Switzerland side that were eliminated in the round of 16, and his goal to seal a win against Serbia became iconic. The Swiss also drew with Brazil. Right after Shaqiri's nation was eliminated, Klopp acted fast, and that July, the player became a Red for a bargain £13.75 million. While his spell at Anfield wasn't exactly groundbreaking, he was an ideal squad player, didn't complain about a lack of minutes, and even bagged a brace against Manchester United.
Divock Origi - World Cup 2014
Speaking of cult heroes, one of Reds fans' most beloved strikers arrived at the club on the back of a stellar World Cup campaign. Divock Origi wowed spectators at World Cup 2014. At 19, he effectively displaced Romelu Lukaku in Belgium's starting XI and scored a dramatic winner against Russia in the group stage. Again, speculation began to swirl once the competition ended. But it was Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers who signed him from Lille for £10 million. In the years to come, he would earn himself a place in the hearts of supporters, scoring that goal against Barcelona and sealing the Champions League final in 2019.
El Hadji Diouf - World Cup 2002
Not all of Liverpool's post-World Cup signings were successful, however. World Cup 2002 produced a fairytale result for Senegal, as they beat France in the opening game and made it all the way to the quarter-finals. Young El Hadji Diouf was the standout with his direct running, and he was even named in that year's World Cup All-Star team. Gerard Houllier spent £10 million to sign him from Lens. But his time at Anfield was a disaster. His discipline was lacking, and he scored six goals in 80 Liverpool appearances. He even became the only number nine in Reds history to go an entire season without scoring a goal.
