What this World Cup has taught us about Brighton’s 2026-27 season
There is no other position in Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton & Hove Albion squad that matches the high level of competition at left-back.
Hurzeler will benefit from choosing between a pair of full internationals in Ferdi Kadioglu and Maxim De Cuyper after contrasting fortunes for the pair at the World Cup.
De Cuyper is Brighton’s sole representative in the quarter-finals (excluding Jason Steele’s role as training goalkeeper with England). Belgium face Spain in Los Angeles on Friday evening (8pm UK time), having stunned co-hosts the United States in Seattle overnight on Tuesday.
De Cuyper excelled. “De Cuyper was the standout player on the pitch for me,” said former Germany, Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, posting on X. “In the end, a well-deserved 4-1, because Belgium consistently punished every uncertainty from the Americans.”
It has not always been this smooth for De Cuyper and Belgium during the tournament. Timothy Castagne was preferred at left-back by manager Rudi Garcia in Belgium’s first group game against Egypt, but De Cuyper has started all four matches since coming off the bench during the second half of that 1-1 draw.
Belgium looked out of the tournament when De Cuyper was substituted in the 78th minute of their last 32 clash against Senegal, as they trailed 2-0. They stormed back without him to sneak through 3-2 after extra time.
De Cuyper’s World Cup adventure has parallels with the fluctuating fortunes of his first season at Brighton after a £17.3m move from Brugge. In May, the 25-year-old — who models himself on attack-minded former Brazil and Real Madrid left-back Marcelo — became only the third player in Premier League history to assist two goals in the first five minutes of a match in a 3-0 home win against relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers. But De Cuyper ended up starting just 17 of 38 league games as Kadioglu dominated the position.
Maxim De Cuyper celebrates Belgium’s comprehensive win over the United States (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
The World Cup was a big disappointment for Kadioglu and Turkey. Flagged as dark horses, they flopped by exiting at the group stage. Kadioglu started defeats to Australia (2-0) and Paraguay (1-0), but played no part in a consolation 3-2 victory over the United States, remaining on the bench.
Whatever happens to Belgium now, De Cuyper will return to Brighton with renewed vigour for the 2026-27 campaign, while Hurzeler will have extra scope for left-back rotation with the addition of the Europa Conference League to the programme of fixtures.
It has been an eventful World Cup so far for Brighton, including moves in and out for players involved in the tournament. Here The Athletic analyses other key takeaways.
The briefest of glimpses of a new-look defence
Hurzeler’s side compete in four competitions, including the Europa Conference League, in the 2026-27 campaign. The heavy workload means there is a fair chance that Luka Vuskovic and Michael Svoboda will be alongside each other in the centre of defence at some stage.
Vuskovic will soon become Brighton’s record signing at 19 years of age. A £46million down payment to Tottenham for the Croatian prospect (with add-ons potentially lifting the total to £50m) eclipses the £40m fee paid to Leeds United for French forward Georginio Rutter two summers ago.
The combined cost of buying Vuskovic and Austrian Svoboda (who cost £4.3m thanks to a release clause in the 27-year-old’s contract with Venezia) is covered by the £52m trade during the tournament of Netherlands international Jan Paul van Hecke to Tottenham.
Vuskovic started Croatia’s opening 4-2 defeat by England in the group stage. He was substituted after 66 minutes and benched without getting any more game time in his country’s other three matches, culminating in a 2-1 defeat by Portugal in the last 32.
Austria went out at the same stage, 3-0 to Spain, without Svoboda kicking a ball in the tournament. He was an unused sub in group games against Jordan (won 3-1), Argentina (lost 2-0) and Algeria (3-3 draw). The signing also during the World Cup of 26-year-old Belgian-born former Netherlands youth international Pascal Struijk from Leeds for around £15m plus £3m in add-ons increases the competition for minutes in the centre of defence under Hurzeler for the newcomers.
Verbruggen and Ayari impress potential suitors
Although the tournament ended in last-32 disappointment for both Bart Verbruggen and Yasin Ayari, the Dutch goalkeeper and Swedish midfielder both enhanced their reputations.
Verbruggen was outstanding in a 1-1 draw against Morocco. He produced one of the saves of the World Cup so far to foil Soufiane Rahimi in extra time after the Morocco substitute weaved his way through the Netherlands defence.
Verbruggen was unlucky with Rahimi’s penalty in the shootout (which Morocco won 3-2). He saved Rahimi’s attempt, only for the ball to rebound in off the back of his right leg as he dived.
Dutch goalkeeper Verbruggen’s luck was not in during a shootout defeat to Morocco (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Ayari’s impact came early for Graham Potter’s Sweden, who ended up crashing out 3-0 to France in the first knockout phase. He scored with two stunning strikes at the start and finish of their first group fixture, a poignant 5-1 win over Tunisia, the country of his father’s birth.
Verbruggen and Ayari have been the subject of transfer speculation during their Brighton careers. It would not be a surprise if, having both impressed on the biggest stage of all, that happens again before the end of the summer window.
Gomez and the disciplinary tightrope
Diego Gomez missed Paraguay’s best moment of the tournament. The former Inter Miami midfielder played no part in his country knocking out Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Gomez was suspended from the last-32 tie due to bookings in a group stage defeat by USA (4-1) and goalless draw with Australia. The versatile 23-year-old is a key player for his country, so manager Gustavo Alfaro immediately restored Gomez to the side for the last 16 clash against tournament favourites France.
Diligence and a competitive edge are two of his key attributes, but this sometimes leads to rash decision-making. Having performed well to help keep the French at arms length, Gomez brought down substitute Desire Doue in the box for Kylian Mbappe’s decisive 70th-minute penalty, as Paraguay lost 1-0.
Gomez has racked up 11 yellow cards in total across 56 appearances for Brighton in all competitions. Nine of those cautions came in the Premier League last season, the first five of which prompted a one-match suspension in December, and he wasn’t too far off a two-game ban for hitting the 10-card mark. He needs to calm down a bit without forsaking the combative spirit which is part of what makes him tick.
Diego Gomez trips Desire Doue as Paraguay lose to France (Howard Smith/Getty Images)
What now for Gross and Wieffer?
Pascal Gross was recalled by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann for March friendlies and named in the World Cup squad. The 35-year-old midfielder’s international future has been thrown into doubt following Germany’s surprise defeat by Paraguay in the knockout phase and Nagelsmann’s subsequent resignation.
Gross’s only game time came off the bench in the last 17 minutes of a 2-1 defeat by Ecuador in Germany’s closing group fixture. That is 17 minutes more than Wieffer had with the Netherlands. He was an unused substitute in all four of their games.
Wieffer is in a similar situation to Gross. The midfielder-turned-right-back was recalled to the Dutch squad by Ronald Koeman off the back of a strong season with Brighton, but Koeman has departed after the Netherlands fell at the first knockout hurdle.
Whether Gross and Wieffer will be facing each other when Germany play the Netherlands in the Nations League in September remains to be seen.
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he is in talks with the German Football Association to succeed Nagelsmann. Klopp was an admirer of Gross during his Liverpool reign, but that was a while ago now.
Irrespective of the uncertainty with their countries, Gross and Wieffer will still be important members of the Brighton squad for Hurzeler. The coach will lean on his compatriot’s experience after losing the retired James Milner from the core group of senior pros together with released duo Solly March and Adam Webster plus Joel Veltman, who rejected a new offer.
Wieffer will be fighting for the right-back spot with Portugese signing Costinha from Olympiacos.