12 players who improved their World Cup chances with summer transfers: Liverpool star, former Man Utd trio…

Hugo Ekitike, Marcus Rashford and Nick Woltemade

Ekitike, Rashford and Woltemade all moved clubs in the summer

The 2026 World Cup is just a few months away and international managers are now starting to think about the players they want to take to the tournament.

A lot of players already had the World Cup on their mind when they decided to move clubs in the last summer transfer window.

If they get regular first-team football throughout the season or play for a more high-profile club, they are more likely to be on the plane when the manager announces their World Cup squad.

We’ve taken a look at 12 players who boosted their World Cup chances by moving clubs in the summer transfer window.

Jack Grealish

After falling out of favour at Manchester City, Grealish also lost his place in the England team and last played for his country in a 3-1 win over Finland in October 2024 under the then-interim head coach Lee Carsley.

The winger joined Everton in the summer on a season-long loan deal and has already established himself as a fan favourite at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

He won the Premier League Player of the Month award after registering four assists in his first three appearances and recently scored a 90th-minute winner against Crystal Palace.

While he is yet to earn a recall to the England squad, manager Thomas Tuchel insists the door remains open for the 30-year-old.

“There is always a way back into the camp,” Tuchel said. “Jack knows that I see how influential he is for Everton and that he is on his way to be the best version of himself.”

READ MORE: Jack Grealish’s dazzling Everton form could force Thomas Tuchel to drop England star – the choice is obvious

Marcus Rashford

Rashford was England’s joint-top goalscorer at the 2022 World Cup but missed out on the Euro 2024 squad following a poor season at Manchester United.

He is now on loan at Barcelona and has rediscovered his best form in Spain, registering three goals and five assists in his first 10 appearances this season.

The winger has been named in three of Tuchel’s four England squads, with the summer internationals against Senegal and Andorra being the only games he has missed after picking up an injury.

“He can be one of the best in the world,” Tuchel said. “The quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head.

“He is explosive, he is fast, he is strong in the air so where are the limits? There are no limits, but the numbers don’t reach the potential. He needs to push himself into goal involvements. That means goals and assists. He knows that from me.”

Antony

Having impressed at Ajax in 2021/22, Antony joined Manchester United in a deal worth up to £85million and went on to make four appearances for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup.

But his stock plummeted after netting just 12 goals in 96 appearances for United, and he has not featured for his country since a friendly against Morocco in March 2023.

The 25-year-old rebooted his career at Real Betis in the second half of last season with nine goals from 26 games and turned the loan move into a permanent deal in the summer window.

Joao Pedro

Despite impressing at Brighton & Hove Albion, Pedro struggled to get international recognition and made just three appearances for Brazil before his £60million move to Chelsea.

The 24-year-old starred as Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer and has since won two more Brazil caps, playing against Chile and Bolivia in recent World Cup qualifiers.

“Everyone dreams to wear No. 9 for Brazil in the World Cup,” he said. “I need to do my job here, and then Mr [Carlo] Ancelotti will choose. I think I have a good chance.”

Joao Palhinha

Palhinha joined Bayern Munich from Fulham in the summer of 2024 but managed just 25 appearances in all competitions in his debut season, with only 10 starts.

His bit-part role at club level also affected his opportunities for his national team, resulting in him being an unused substitute for Portugal in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final.

The midfielder then joined Tottenham on a season-long loan deal and has made a strong start to the current campaign, cementing himself as one of the first names on Thomas Frank’s teamsheet.

Joan Garcia

Garcia enjoyed an outstanding 2024/25 campaign with Espanyol, where he produced a league-high 146 saves to help his boyhood club avoid relegation from LaLiga.

But the Spaniard is still waiting for his maiden call-up for the national side as Luis de la Fuente has opted to go with Unai Simon, David Raya and Alex Remiro as his options between the sticks.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper joined Barcelona in the summer and will be hoping that the high-profile move gives him the platform to break into La Fuente’s squad before the World Cup.

Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike joined Liverpool in a £79million deal in the summer and hit the ground running, registering five goals and one assist in 10 appearances in all competitions.

His impressive form has not gone unnoticed, with France manager Didier Deschamps giving the striker his first two senior international call-ups in recent weeks.

He made substitute appearances against Ukraine and Iceland before setting up a Kylian Mbappe goal against Azerbaijan on his first international start.

Rayan Cherki

Cherki is widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted young players in Europe and marked his senior France debut with a goal and an assist against Spain.

The 22-year-old completed a £34million move to Manchester City in the summer and will now continue his development under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola.

He scored on his Premier League debut and was named in the France squad for their World Cup qualifiers in September, but a muscle injury prevented him from adding to his two international caps.

Christopher Nkunku

Nkunku struggled for consistency and regular minutes during his two-year stint at Chelsea and subsequently made just four appearances for France in that period.

The 27-year-old moved to AC Milan in the summer and has since worked his way back into Deschamps’ squad. He made a substitute appearance against Azerbaijan before scoring in the 2-2 draw with Iceland.

Nick Woltemade

Following his impressive performances for Germany in the European Under-21 Championship in the summer, Woltemade left Stuttgart and joined Newcastle United in a deal worth up to £69million.

The 23-year-old striker has scored four goals in his first seven appearances for Newcastle and is now a regular starter for the senior Germany team.

He broke his international duck against Northern Ireland to seal three points for Germany and looks set to lead the line for his country at the World Cup.

Franco Mastantuono

Mastantuono became Argentina’s youngest debutant in a competitive fixture when he was brought on as a late substitute in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win against Chile in the summer.

The 18-year-old joined Real Madrid from River Plate a week later and has already established himself as a regular starter under Xabi Alonso, while also picking up two more international caps.

Alejandro Garnacho

Alongside Rashford and Antony, Garnacho was also deemed surplus to requirements by Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim.

He joined Chelsea in a £40million deal in the summer and reportedly reached out to Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni seeking assurance about his international prospects.

While Argentina have a star-studded squad, the 20-year-old is now playing football again and has a chance to showcase his talents before the World Cup.

Honourable mentions: Lucas Chevalier (France), Alvaro Carreras (Spain), Dean Huijsen (Spain), Jarell Quansah (England), Jordan Henderson (England), Douglas Luiz (Brazil), Matheus Cunha (Brazil)

READ MORE: Premier League signings of the season power ranking: New top two as Liverpool, Chelsea stars fall

Jack Grealish Marcus Rashford Hugo Ekitike

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