Florian Wirtz danced through the Texas heat with 39 touches in the final third, weaving magic in Germany’s 7-1 demolition of Curacao — a performance that didn’t just light up Houston’s NRG Stadium, but sent ripples through Anfield. As new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola watched from the sidelines, the display offered a tantalizing glimpse of the talent he’s been entrusted to unlock. Wirtz, signed for a then-British record £116 million from Bayer Leverkusen, spent last season looking lost amid the pressures of English football, rotating between positions and failing to ignite. But in the freedom of the German national setup — playing on the left and linking fluidly with Jamal Musiala — he looked like a different player. Former England striker Chris Sutton captured the mood: “The Liverpool fans who watched the game would be wondering if it was the same Florian Wirtz who played for them last season.”
Iraola’s arrival from Bournemouth wasn’t just about tactics or training drills — it was a mission to revive a squad that crumbled under the weight of defending their Premier League crown. And in Wirtz, he sees not just potential, but a puzzle to solve. Positional clarity could be the key. Playing wide left for Germany, Wirtz drifted inside, creating Germany’s opener for Felix Nmecha with a moment of delicate vision that had been missing at club level. The contrast was stark — and instructive.
Elsewhere, Iraola found reassurance in the enduring class of Virgil van Dijk. At 34, and soon to turn 35, the Dutchman remains a colossus. In a 2-2 draw with Japan in Dallas, he scored a powerful header to put the Netherlands ahead and dominated aerially, earning man of the match honors despite the result. His presence is set to anchor Iraola’s rebuild. So too is Ryan Gravenberch, whose inviting cross set up van Dijk and who also assisted Crysencio Summerville’s goal — marking only the second time in World Cup history that two Liverpool players have been involved in both goals for their nation, the first being Ian Callaghan and Roger Hunt in 1966.
Yet not all signs were positive. Cody Gakpo, deployed on the left for both club and country, struggled against Japan, his predictable cutting inside once again exploited. With Micky van de Ven offering little support from left-back, Gakpo was isolated — a reminder of the challenges Iraola faces in reinvigorating underperforming talent.
As the World Cup unfolds, Iraola isn’t just watching — he’s learning. The tournament is his classroom, and every pass, goal, and misstep is a data point in Liverpool’s road to redemption. The hope? That what unfolds on foreign soil can be brought home to Anfield.