Southampton is set for another season in the Championship. However, mainly due to their recent history of being in the Premier League, many of the Saints' former players will be competing at the 2026 World Cup.
Former Southampton players at the 2026 World Cup
Virgil van Dijk - Netherlands
Southampton was the club that gave Virgil van Dijk his chance in the Premier League. He then went on to win everything with Liverpool.
He is the captain of the Netherlands, who are perennial underachievers at the World Cup. In their group, he will come up against former Saints player Yan Valery, who plays for Tunisia. Van Dijk's side will also face Graham Potter's Sweden.
Sadio Mané - Liverpool
Sadio Mané followed the same path as Van Dijk; he was a star with the Saints before going on to have great success with Liverpool. He now plays his soccer with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Mané is Senegal's top goalscorer with 55 goals in 127 matches. He has had the highs of winning the Africa Cup of Nations with his country in 2021. However, has also suffered the ignominy of having their title, which they won this year, stripped from them.
Kevin Danso - Austria
Kevin Danso had a loan spell at Southampton from Augsburg during the 2019/20 season. However, he played just 10 times in all competitions for the Saints. He now plays for Tottenham Hotspur.
He has 32 caps for Austria, who are managed by former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick. They will face the holders Argentina in their group.
Yan Valery - Tunisia
Yan Valery was born in France and played for Rennes' academy before coming through the ranks at Southampton. He went on to play 53 times for the Saints before returning across the channel to represent Angers. He is now a Sheffield Wednesday player.
Valery represented France at the Under-17 and U18 levels before switching his allegiance to Tunisia. They are in Group F, which is heavy with former Saints players. He will be up against Van Dijk's Netherlands and Potter's Sweden.
Duje Ćaleta-Car - Croatia
Duje Ćaleta-Car had a brief spell as a Southampton player during the 2022/23 season. However, he made just 13 appearances in the Premier League. He was then sent on loan to Lyon before joining the club permanently.
He was a runner-up with Croatia at the World Cup in 2018. However, he did play just one group stage match in that tournament. His country is often seen as a dark horse at the World Cup. They are in a group with England, who have Tino Livramento in their roster.
Alfie Jones - Canada
Alfie Jones is a product of Southampton's academy, but did not play a first-team game for the Saints. He made the bench in the Premier League twice. Whilst with the Saints, he was sent on loan to St Mirren and then Gillingham.
Jones then joined Hull City and is now with Middlesbrough. He missed the controversial matches with Southampton in the playoffs this year due to an ankle injury. The defender is from Bristol but qualifies to play for Canada through his grandmother. The 28-year-old has two caps for his country and plays alongside current Saints player Cyle Larin.
Tino Livramento - England
Liveramento was with Chelsea's academy before making the switch to Southampton. He played 34 times for the Saints before transferring to Newcastle United. The right-back has impressed for the Magpies and has been linked with top Premier League clubs.
The right-back has five caps for England and is competing with Chelsea's Reece James for a starting spot at right-back. They are in a group with Croatia, so we could see him face up against Ćaleta-Car.
Che Adams - Scotland
Che Adams was a goalscorer for the Saints in both the Premier League and Championship. In 191 games, he found the back of the net 48 times. He helped Southampton gain promotion from English soccer's second tier via the playoffs in 2024. However, he then departed for Torino. Scotland has several players with ties to the Saints in their roster.
Angus Gunn - Scotland
Angus Gunn was mostly used as a backup keeper to Alex McCarthy during his time at Southampton. However, he still played 30 times for the Saints. He now has a similar role to Matz Sels at Nottingham Forest.
Despite making just one Premier League appearance last season, he remains in Scotland's squad. He is competing with Craig Gordon of Hearts for a starting spot. Steve Clarke's side also has current Southampton player Ross Stewart on their roster.
Former Saints coaching at the World Cup
Graham Potter - Sweden
Potter made eight Premier League appearances for Southampton during his playing career. He is now the manager of Sweden, which is fitting, as he made a name for himself as a manager with the country's club side, Östersunds.
Ronald Koeman - Netherlands
Ronald Koeman managed Southampton from 2014 to 2016. However, after helping the Saints qualify for the Europa League, he left for Everton. He is now in his second stint at coaching the Netherlands.
Mauricio Pochettino - USMNT
Mauricio Pochettino was Southampton's manager during the 2013/14 season. Fans will remember him using a translator in interviews at the time. He helped the Saints finish eighth before having spells at Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and then Chelsea. The Argentine has taken a break from club soccer to manage the USMNT at the tournament, which they are co-hosting.
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