'I hope Wirtz has a fantastic World Cup' - Klopp

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Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says he hopes Florian Wirtz has a fantastic World Cup.

Wirtz joined Liverpool in June 2025, after Klopp had left the club, and has scored seven goals in all competitions for the Reds.

In an interview with BBC Sport, when asked who he thinks will be the standout players in this summer's tournament, Klopp's affinity for Liverpool came to the fore.

"I hope Flo Wirtz will have a fantastic, fantastic World Cup. I think he has everything you need to be a standout player," Klopp said.

"I don't want to put any pressure on the boy. I really think he showed already how good he can be in a difficult season."

Klopp was Liverpool manager from 2015 until 2024, where he won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and more in a successful spell at Anfield.

He is now head of global football at Red Bull, and will work at the World Cup for German television as a pundit, as well as in a role as global ambassador for Budweiser.

Some of the players who had the biggest impact in winning those trophies are at this summer's tournament in North America and Klopp spoke fondly of his former players.

"I hope my players will have a great World Cup," he added.

"I hope that Andy Robertson and Alisson Becker can enjoy that when they meet each other. Can you imagine that you play together for such a long time and Scotland qualifies first time, I don't know, since when, for the World Cup, and you meet each other, your friends, your mutual friends, and you meet each other in a game like that? I mean, that must be one of the happiest moments in your life.

"I wish Virgil [van Dijk] will have a great tournament. I really wish for Mo [] that he will have a great tournament. I honestly wish that Sadio [] will have a great tournament. Macca [], if he won, if they win it again. It was so nice to see him with a medal around his neck and when he came back to .