World Cup gives Liverpool’s Iraola a scouting boost with Wirtz, Isak

Andoni Iraola’s first months at Liverpool are already being shaped far from Anfield. The World Cup has turned into a live audition for Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Yan Diomande, giving the new head coach immediate evidence on both the players Liverpool have and the kind of attacking depth the squad still needs.

Liverpool appointed Iraola on 4 June on a two-year deal after sacking Arne Slot, and the club made clear that the 43-year-old Spaniard will prepare the team for the 2026-27 season. That timing matters because Iraola arrives with a rebuild to manage, and the tournament is offering him a clear read on form, fitness and ceiling before the domestic calendar begins again.

Wirtz is the most advanced piece of that puzzle. Liverpool selected the No. 7 for Germany’s World Cup squad on 21 May, and Germany’s group slate runs through Curacao on 14 June, Ivory Coast on 20 June and Ecuador on 25 June. Liverpool’s own squad page said the attacking midfielder finished 2025-26 with 49 appearances, seven goals and eight assists, while FIFA has highlighted him as one of the tournament’s leading stars as he works back toward his best form. For Iraola, Wirtz is not just a premium creator; he is a test of whether Liverpool can build a more reliable final-third structure around a player who has already delivered volume and end product.

Isak poses a different question. Liverpool confirmed on 12 May that the No. 9 had been named in Sweden’s World Cup squad, with group matches against Tunisia on 15 June, the Netherlands on 20 June and Japan on 26 June. Reports around the squad announcement said Isak had endured an injury-hit season and started only eight league matches after his record move from Newcastle United last summer. That leaves Liverpool with a blunt but important issue: the club needs a centre-forward who can stay on the pitch and carry a load across a full season, not just flash in short bursts.

Diomande is the speculative swing. FIFA featured the teenager among its World Cup wonderkids in May, and Reuters reported on 14 June that Ivory Coast started him against Ecuador alongside Nicolas Pepe. Ivory Coast won that opener 1-0 through Amad Diallo’s late goal, but Diomande’s inclusion in a pressure match underlined how quickly he is being trusted. For Liverpool, that is the sort of profile Iraola may want in the rebuild: a young forward with upside, pace and room to grow into a Premier League attack that still needs more certainty than promise.