Liverpool 2026 Preseason: Schedule, Results, and Andoni Iraola's Plans

With Andoni Iraola stepping in as the new manager, Liverpool is gearing up for the 2026/27 season by ramping up their preseason with a tour across the United States. Following the excitement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in North America, the Reds are set to play matches in Nashville, New York City, and Chicago as they focus on fitness and match sharpness before the long campaign ahead.

Some Liverpool players took part in the recent World Cup and will need extra time to recover, while others are ready to hit the ground running as the Premier League approaches.

Preseason Fixtures and Results

Liverpool kicked off their preseason with a 4-2 win over Sunderland on July 25 at GEODIS Park in Nashville. Goals came from Dominik Szoboszlai and Federico Chiesa around halftime, along with young talents Kieran Morris and Lewis Koumas adding their names to the scoresheet.

The next game is against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium in New York City on July 29, followed by a clash with Leeds United at Soldier Field, Chicago, on August 2.

*Liverpool will hold two matches against Como on August 16: one behind closed doors at 7 a.m. ET and another open to fans at 1 p.m. ET. This double-header format has become common for their preseason games, as seen last year with Athletic Club.

Locations of Preseason Matches

Three of the five scheduled games take place in the US, hitting major cities like New York and Chicago. The team then returns to England for the final preseason matches at Anfield. One match against Como will involve split squads, with one game closed to the public and the other open, continuing a trend Liverpool has followed recently.

World Cup Players’ Return to Training

Players who competed in the World Cup receive 21 days off after their last match. Seven Liverpool players were involved, including three from the Netherlands: Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, and Virgil van Dijk. They are expected back in training by late July and should join the squad during the US tour before the Chicago friendly.

Alisson, despite transfer speculation this summer, seems set to stay and will follow the same return timeline. Alexis Mac Allister, who reached the final with Argentina, will return later in August and might miss early league games to rest after a demanding tournament.

Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, whose teams exited early in the World Cup knockout stages, have already rejoined Liverpool and will start building fitness soon.

Opening Premier League Fixture

Liverpool begin their 2026/27 Premier League season away at Newcastle United on Sunday, August 23, with kickoff at 4:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. ET). After that, they alternate home and away matches through October, with the first back-to-back home fixtures coming against Brighton and Hove Albion, and Arsenal.