Which Liverpool players will go head-to-head at the World Cup

Liverpool players could be set for World Cup clashes against their Reds teammates as we examine potential head-to-head matchups during the group stages at the tournament

Virgil van Dijk and Alexander Isak are two of the Liverpool layers that will face each other at the World Cup(Image: Getty Images)

The final lineup for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has now been confirmed following Tuesday night’s European play-off finals, with all 48 places secured for the tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Attention now turns to the clubs contributing the most players, with Liverpool leading the way after an impressive 13 players were selected for international duty with most of them set to feature at this summer's tournament.

The decisive play-offs also delivered major shocks, as four-time champions Italy were eliminated by Bosnia-Herzegovina, while the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Sweden all booked their places in the expanded finals. Meanwhile, a number of Liverpool players narrowly missed out on the World Cup.

Alisson is set to start in goal for Brazil in Group C at the World Cup, where the five-time champions will face Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland. The 33-year-old recently missed Brazil’s March warm-up fixtures due to injury but is expected to be fit ahead of the tournament.

This means there is a possibility of an all-Liverpool clash, with Alisson competing against Reds defender Andy Robertson in the final Group C game at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 24 with kick-off at 6pm EDT/3pm PT.

However, the group Liverpool fans will most have their eye on is Group F which features the most Reds stars. Jeremie Frimpong, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Virgil van Dijk could all come up against Wataru Endo when Netherlands face Japan in the group's first game of the tournament at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on June 14 with kick-off at 4pm EDT/1pm PT.

Alexander Isak enters the World Cup with a chance at redemption for Sweden after a difficult qualification campaign. After finishing bottom of their qualifying group, Sweden ultimately secured their place at the tournament via the Nations League play-offs, sealing qualification with a 3-2 victory over Poland.

The Netherlands face both Sweden and Japan during the group stage(Image: Getty Images)

Isak and Sweden were also drawn in group F alongside Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. Isak will first face the Reds' Dutch quartet in its second game of Group F when Sweden take on the Netherlands at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on June 20 with kick-off at 1pm EDT/10am PT.

Isak will then face Endo in Sweden's final group game against Japan on June 25 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington with kick-off at 7pm EDT/4pm PT.

Elsewhere in the group stages, Mohamed Salah is set to lead Egypt in Group G alongside Belgium, Iran and New Zealand, giving the Pharaohs a realistic chance of progressing. Florian Wirtz arrives in strong form after scoring twice and adding two assists in Germany’s 4–3 win over Switzerland, with his side drawn against Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E.

Alexis Mac Allister remains central to defending champions Argentina’s plans in Group J, where they face Algeria, Austria and Jordan in a favourable opening draw. Meanwhile, France will take two Liverpool FC players, Hugo Ekitike and Ibrahima Konaté, into Group I, with Ekitike’s rapid rise at club level continuing to attract attention ahead of the tournament.