Andoni Iraola's first weeks as Liverpool head coach have brought two wins and a defeat across a three-match tour of the United States. A comfortable start against Sunderland and a narrow win over Wrexham gave way to a second-half collapse against Leeds United in Chicago. Here is how the pre-season has unfolded so far, match by match.
Liverpool's pre-season results so far
| Date | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 26 Jul | Liverpool 4-2 Sunderland | GEODIS Park, Nashville |
| Wed 29 Jul | Wrexham 0-1 Liverpool | Yankee Stadium, New York |
| Sun 2 Aug | Leeds United 4-2 Liverpool | Soldier Field, Chicago |
Liverpool 4-2 Sunderland โ Nashville
The Iraola era opened with a win. Kieran Morrison put Liverpool ahead just past the quarter-hour, stepping inside before finishing low into the corner, but Sunderland responded through an Enzo Le Fรฉe drive and led early in the second half when Timur Tutierov turned home from close range.
From there Liverpool took over. Dominik Szoboszlai levelled with a controlled half-volley from outside the box, Federico Chiesa steered the Reds back in front, and Lewis Koumas sealed a 4-2 win late on. The one sour note was an early injury to captain Joe Gomez, forced off inside ten minutes, with Kostas Tsimikas taking the armband. A crowd of 24,897 watched Iraola's first game in charge.
Wrexham 0-1 Liverpool โ New York
A tighter contest at Yankee Stadium, settled by a moment of teenage improvisation. With fifteen minutes remaining, 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha carried the ball into the box and saw his low effort deflect off a defender and loop over the goalkeeper โ enough to make it two wins from two on tour.
Szoboszlai captained the side on the night, and both goalkeepers were kept busy: Giorgi Mamardashvili made important saves as Wrexham pushed, and the Championship side spurned a late chance to level. In front of 42,204, Liverpool got the job done without hitting the heights.
Leeds United 4-2 Liverpool โ Chicago
The tour ended with a chastening second half. Liverpool were the better side before the break and led 2-0 through an early Luke Chambers finish and a cushioned Florian Wirtz strike, with the majority-Reds crowd at Soldier Field in good voice.
The second half turned entirely. Brenden Aaronson pulled one back on the hour, Dominic Calvert-Lewin levelled, a deflected Sean Longstaff effort put Leeds ahead, and Calvert-Lewin headed in his second to complete a 4-2 win for the opposition. Ryan Gravenberch featured for his first minutes of pre-season, but the 49,128 in attendance saw Liverpool undone by a flurry they never recovered from.
What we've learned
Three matches into Iraola's tenure, the attacking signs have been encouraging โ Szoboszlai, Chiesa, Koumas and the young Ngumoha have all contributed, and the passing in the first halves of all three games caught the eye. The Leeds defeat was a reminder that a new system takes time to bed in, particularly defensively across a full ninety minutes. With the competitive season approaching, the balance between the promising and the unfinished is exactly what pre-season is for.
What's next
Liverpool's pre-season continues at Anfield before the Premier League begins. For the full schedule โ the remaining friendlies and both league openers โ see our guide to Liverpool's August 2026 fixtures, which covers the Anfield meetings with AS Monaco and Como 1907 and the league opener away at Newcastle United.
Liverpool tickets
Tickets for every Liverpool fixture this season โ home and away โ are listed on our Liverpool tickets page. Anfield availability is at its widest for the pre-season friendlies and tightens sharply once the league season begins.
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Frequently asked questions
How has Liverpool's pre-season gone so far?
Two wins from three: 4-2 against Sunderland in Nashville and 1-0 against Wrexham in New York, followed by a 4-2 defeat to Leeds United in Chicago.
Was this Andoni Iraola's first pre-season as Liverpool head coach?
Yes. The 4-2 win over Sunderland in Nashville on 26 July was his first match in charge.
Who scored for Liverpool during the tour?
Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas against Sunderland; Rio Ngumoha against Wrexham; and Luke Chambers and Florian Wirtz against Leeds.
When does Liverpool's competitive season start?
The Premier League opens away at Newcastle United on 23 August 2026, with the first Anfield league fixture against Nottingham Forest on 29 August.