- Everton have four players involved at World Cup 2026
- Each player enters the tournament with a different objective
- The competition could provide Moyes with valuable insight before the new season
A World Cup is usually judged by trophies, wins, moments, upsets and standout performances.
David Moyes will be watching Everton’s four representatives slightly differently.
Jordan Pickford, Nathan Patterson, Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye all arrive in North America at different stages of their careers and with different roles to play next season… some maybe not at the Hill Dickinson.
Over the coming weeks, the tournament could dictate the futures of the quartet and where they fit, if at all, into Everton’s short-term plan.
Jordan Pickford: Maintaining the standard
Pickford enters the tournament in a position few goalkeepers ever reach.
England’s undisputed number one for almost a decade, he is not heading to North America fighting for recognition or a place in Moyes’ plans. Both are already secure.
The challenge is maintaining the standards that have made him one of the most reliable goalkeepers in international football.
For Everton, there is no mystery surrounding Pickford. The club knows exactly what it has. And he wears his heart on his sleeve. Always.
As long as he returns fit, healthy and ready for the new campaign, the World Cup will have served its purpose.
Nathan Patterson: A chance to remind people
No Everton player arrives at the tournament with more to gain than Patterson.
The Scotland defender played the final 15 minutes of his country’s opening 1-0 victory over Haiti and will be hoping for a bigger role as the group stage unfolds.
This is an important summer for Patterson. Injuries have repeatedly interrupted his progress at Everton and limited his opportunities to establish himself as a regular starter.
The World Cup offers him a stage to demonstrate that he can be trusted in high-pressure games and contribute over a sustained period at the top level.
With speculation continuing around his future despite Patterson never publicly expressing a desire to leave, meaningful minutes for Scotland will do him no harm at all.
Iliman Ndiaye: Everton’s opportunity and risk
Ndiaye’s tournament may have the biggest implications for Everton.
By the end of last season, the Senegal international looked like the player Moyes could build his attack around. His ability to carry the ball through central areas, commit defenders and create something from nothing gave Everton a dimension few others in the squad can provide.
The club needs more goals and creativity next season. It also needs players capable of turning promising attacks into decisive moments. Ndiaye is one of the few already at Finch Farm who can do both.
That is why a strong World Cup would be encouraging.
It is also why it could create complications.
Outstanding performances on football’s biggest stage rarely go unnoticed. If Ndiaye enjoys a standout tournament, his profile and market value will inevitably rise too.
Everton have little appetite to sell, but the better Ndiaye performs, the more attention he is likely to attract.
That is the balancing act facing the club. Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal and Spurs will be watching.
Idrissa Gana Gueye: Looking to the future
Gueye remains, in the twilight of his career, one of Everton’s most influential players.
His energy, intelligence and consistency were central to the club’s improvement under Moyes last season, yet time eventually catches every footballer.
Gueye will turn 37 during the next campaign, and Everton must be thinking about the future, even while continuing to rely heavily on him in the present. Contract extension negotiations have reportedly stalled.
His performances for Senegal may offer an early indication of what comes next.
Can he continue producing the same intensity against elite opposition? Can he still cope with the demands of tournament football and a packed schedule?
Those are important considerations as Everton plan beyond the next 12 months.
More than just a summer tournament
Everton do not need four perfect tournaments.
They need some answers.
Can Patterson push on? Can Ndiaye become the attacking focal point Moyes needs? How many games can Gueye still influence at the highest level? Can Pickford maintain the standards that have made him England’s number one for so long?
By the time the World Cup ends, Moyes may have a much clearer idea of where each player stands.
