Rousing the Kop

Liverpool's all-time World Cup appearance makers include Xabi Alonso

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Liverpool have had plenty of big names impress at Anfield over the years, some of whom have gone on to enjoy success for their countries.With the final mid-season break of the campaign ending in March, the preparations for the World Cup are now upon us.Liverpool are lacking names in the England squad ahead of 2026’s tournament, but throughout history, some of their former stars have shone on the biggest stages, and we have now ranked the names who have made the most appearances in the competition. Which Liverpool player would you most like to see lift the World Cup this summer?



And which one has the best chance… Photo Credit: Getty Images/Andre Weening/BSR Agency/Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Franco Arland/Marcelo Endelli Liverpool’s all-time World Cup appearance makersXabi Alonso: 13Xabi Alonso had a prolific career with Spain, making 114 appearances and scoring 16 goals.13 of those outings came at the World Cup, with the first against Ukraine in 2006.His final appearance at the tournament was a Group B clash with Australia in 2014.Fernando Torres: 14Sticking with Spain, Fernando Torres takes fourth place on the list with 14.The former Liverpool striker scored four and assisted one in the competition, and played 14 minutes of the 2010 final against the Netherlands.Like Alonso, he last played at the World Cup in 2014 against Australia.Dirk Kuyt: 15Dirk Kuyt had a prolific international career with the Netherlands, notching 44 goal contributions in 104 matches.The former Liverpool man’s debut at the World Cup came in 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro.He scored one and assisted three in his 15 outings, last lining up at the tournament against Brazil in a third-place play-off in 2014.Luis Suarez: 16Luis Suarez is the highest-scoring player to crack the top five, netting 69 and assisting 39 for Uruguay.At the World Cup, he has found the back of the net seven times and provided five assists.While still active with Inter Miami, we won’t see the striker at this year’s tournament as Suarez announced in September 2024 that he would retire from the Uruguay national team.Javier Mascherano: 20Javier Mascherano takes top spot on the list by a considerable margin.His first tournament with Argentina came in 2006, where he played 90 minutes of a 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast.Now working as Suarez’s manager at Inter Miami, the ex-Red played his final World Cup game at the 2018 tournament against France, losing 4-3 in the Round of 16.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox