The 2026 World Cup in North America is fast approaching.
Chelsea will have plenty of players representing their countries at this summer's tournament but fans will also have the chance to watch players who may end up joining the club before next season.
Xabi Alonso will be preparing for a major rebuild at Stamford Bridge once he officially takes charge from July 1. As a result, Chelsea continue to be linked with players across multiple positions ahead of the transfer window.
And with several reported targets now included in their country’s World Cup squads, supporters will be able to see how they perform on football's biggest stage.
Maxi Araujo (Uruguay)
Maxi Araujo is definitely one Chelsea fans should pay close attention to during Uruguay’s World Cup campaign.
The left winger has been heavily linked with Chelsea in recent months and the prospect of him joining is an exciting one.
Araujo is aggressive, direct and extremely versatile. He is capable of operating as a winger, wing-back or even in more advanced attacking positions depending on the system being used; perfect for Alonso's fluid system.
During Alonso's time at Bayer Leverkusen, the 44-year-old regularly relied on wide players who could seamlessly transition between defensive and attacking responsibilities throughout games. Araujo would fit this profile of player perfectly.
There are also major questions around the future of Alejandro Garnacho after the Argentine endured a disappointing first season at Stamford Bridge following his £40 million move from Manchester United last summer.
A strong World Cup from Araujo would only increase the chances of the Blues making a move for him, likely at the expense of Garnacho.
Morgan Rogers (England)
Morgan Rogers is another player Chelsea will be keeping a close eye on throughout the World Cup.
The Aston Villa attacker has emerged as one of the Premier League’s standout young attacking players over the last year and is now attracting serious interest from several elite clubs, including Chelsea.
Recent reports claim Arsenal are preparing to launch the opening bid for the 23-year-old, with Chelsea considering entering a bidding war.
Rogers is incredibly versatile. He is capable of playing in almost all attacking roles, whether centrally as a number 10, from wide positions or slightly deeper. That type of flexibility is exactly what Alonso likes, so it's understandable why the Blues have the Villa number 27 on their shortlist.
A strong tournament with England will only increase both his value and the competition for his signature this summer, especially with multiple Premier League clubs already circling.
Robin Roefs (Netherlands)
Robin Roefs is another player Chelsea's sporting department will be monitoring closely during the World Cup, particularly given the growing uncertainty surrounding the club’s goalkeeper situation heading into next season.
The Dutch goalkeeper has been linked with Chelsea amid increasing suggestions that Robert Sanchez may not be the type of goalkeeper capable of thriving under Alonso’s style of football.
Alonso’s teams typically rely heavily on calm, technically secure goalkeepers comfortable building play from the back.
Roefs has now earned his first senior international call-up after being included in Netherlands national football team’s World Cup squad, representing another huge step in his development.
However, with Brighton and Hove Albion's Bart Verbruggen the country's undisputed number one, the Blues may not get to see much of Roefs in action in the tournament.
Even so, simply being involved at this level this early in his career says a lot about how highly Roefs is rated within Dutch football.
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