Injured Leeds United star receives huge World Cup boost as squad confirmed
Three Leeds United players are now confirmed to be heading to the World Cup.
A third Leeds United player has had their place at this summer’s World Cup confirmed as reward for an excellent debut Elland Road campaign.
Noah Okafor joined Leeds from AC Milan last summer and has played a crucial role in keeping his side away from relegation. The winger has registered eight goals and one assist in 28 Premier League appearances, 19 of which have come from the start with nine off the bench.
Okafor has not featured in either of Leeds’ last two games - a 1-1 draw at Tottenham and Sunday’s 1-0 win over Brighton - due to a calf injury. The 25-year-old remains a doubt for Sunday’s final-weekend trip to West Ham but has received an almighty boost heading into the summer.
Having ended a 17-month exile from international football earlier this year, Okafor has been called up again for Switzerland’s 2026 World Cup squad. The Leeds talisman didn’t play a single minute during the March camp but has done enough at club-level to secure a ticket to the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Switzerland kick off their World Cup Group B campaign against Qatar on June 13 before facing Bosnia & Herzegovina five days later. Okafor and his compatriots then have co-hosts Canada, managed by former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, to overcome on June 24.
Okafor becomes the third Leeds player to have their World Cup plans confirmed. Gabriel Gudmundsson capped off an excellent debut campaign at Elland Road with an expected Sweden call-up while Ao Tanaka will be heading across the Atlantic Ocean with Japan.
Noah Okafor Sweden exile over as Leeds United form rewarded
The Swiss star looks to have resolved a fallout with national team boss Murat Yakin and revealed after that March break that his lack of minutes was precautionary. He had only just recovered from a hamstring injury and was keen not to over-work himself ahead of a crucial relegation run-in with Leeds.
And that decision paid dividends, with Okafor enjoying his best run of form all season once spring arrived. The forward registered three goals - including a match-winning brace at Old Trafford - and an assist to earn an April Premier League Player of the Month nomination before also netting against Burnley in May.
That quickfire double at Manchester United earned Leeds a first top-flight win at Old Trafford since 1981. It was also enough for the winger to claim Performance of the Year at last night’s awards ceremony.
It remains to be seen if Okafor will have recovered in time to face West Ham on Sunday, with it highly unlikely he’ll be rushed back now a World Cup place is secured. Anton Stach showed how quickly things can change in terms of injury during Sunday’s win over Brighton and there is nothing but league position and pride to play for at the London Stadium.