With the 2022 FIFA World Cup approaching thick and fast, national teams have been working tediously and tenaciously to source for and call up players to link up with the side as they gear up preparations ahead of the tournament starting next year. Club teams also have a tough task to do as they intend to toughen their stance on keeping hold of their star players and stop them from leaving to link up with their respective national teams.

Although some national teams have started calling up players from their respective clubs, it is still going to be a battle between national teams and football clubs regarding whether or not a player would be allowed to honor the invitation of his country and link up with the national team.

While the Confederation that is in charge of South American football affairs has come out to announce that the South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers fixtures have been postponed, it will also come as a piece of good news to Premier League Champions Liverpool that they are now able to hold on to their South American players and can control whether or not they eventually leave to link up with their national teams.

Sometime last month, Tottenham and Liverpool managers José Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp both voiced their opinions and insisted that they are against allowing their South American players to leave the club with fears over the spread of the coronavirus in the continent. The reaction from the CONMEBOL was the eventual suspension of the qualifiers that were supposed to be played later this month.

Klopp would be glad that at least he can still hold on to his star players for the time being while arrangements are being made regarding the safest possible way to protect players from exposure to the virus.