How Liverpool signed Gakpo, Shaqiri and Origi off the back of World Cup brilliance

Liverpool’s recruitment team has repeatedly turned World Cup performances into Anfield arrivals, and with the 2026 tournament underway across North America, the club’s history of post-tournament signings is worth revisiting.

Cody Gakpo — World Cup 2022

The most recent and most expensive example came in January 2023, when Liverpool paid £35 million to sign Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch winger had just lit up Qatar 2022, scoring in all three of the Netherlands’ group-stage matches — a feat no Dutchman had previously achieved — as his country advanced to the quarter-finals.

Manchester United were among the clubs reported to be tracking Gakpo, but Liverpool moved decisively to win the race. Under Jürgen Klopp, he quickly established himself as a key figure, and he is once again starting for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup.

Xherdan Shaqiri — World Cup 2018

Four years earlier, Klopp identified Xherdan Shaqiri as a bargain worth pursuing after Russia 2018. Shaqiri had just been relegated with Stoke City, yet his performances for Switzerland — including a memorable winner against Serbia — placed him firmly on Liverpool’s radar. Switzerland also held Brazil to a draw during the same tournament before exiting in the round of 16.

Klopp acted immediately after Switzerland’s elimination, completing a deal worth just £13.75 million that July. Shaqiri never became a first-team regular at Anfield, but he proved a reliable squad option and memorably scored twice in a single match against Manchester United.

Divock Origi — World Cup 2014

The earliest entry in this run of post-tournament signings is also one of the most fondly remembered. Divock Origi was just 19 when he captivated audiences at Brazil 2014, effectively displacing Romelu Lukaku in Belgium’s starting line-up and scoring a dramatic winner against Russia in the group stage.

Liverpool moved for the forward after the tournament, beginning an Anfield career that would eventually cement Origi’s status as a cult hero — most memorably through his contributions in the club’s 2019 Champions League triumph.

What comes next in 2026

Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, who plays for RB Leipzig, has already attracted transfer speculation after catching the eye in his country’s opening win against Ecuador at the current tournament. Whether Liverpool act on that interest remains to be seen, but their track record suggests the club will be watching closely as the competition unfolds.