Why the 2026 World Cup may affect Coventry City's chances of keeping Haji Wright | OneFootball

Haji Wright has started the 2025/26 campaign in brilliant form

Coventry City have emerged as one of the Championship’s standout packages this season.

The Sky Blues have enjoyed a brilliant start to the 2025/26 campaign, bouncing back brilliantly from the heartbreak of their failed play-off bid last season.

Frank Lampard’s side sit top of the table after nine matches and have scored a remarkable 27 goals in that time. The second-highest goalscoring total in the league behind them is 15, which highlights just how strong their offensive line has been.

The CBS Arena outfit have been ruthless when dispatching their rivals, recording 7-1, 5-0 and 4-0 victories over the likes of QPR, Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall.

There has also been good news off the pitch, as it was announced in August that Coventry had bought their stadium from former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley.

A number of the Sky Blues’ operators have enjoyed fantastic starts to the season, which has contributed to their table-topping status.

Brandon Thomas-Asante, Victor Torp and Milan van Ewijk have all provided a large number of goals and assists, performing at a higher level than in seasons gone by.

Coventry’s best player so far has been Haji Wright, who has scored eight goals in nine league outings.

His talismanic showings have allowed the Sky Blues to flex their muscles throughout the early stages of this season and build an early advantage at the top of the table.

2026 World Cup could help Coventry City keep Haji Wright

Given how well Wright has started this season, clubs across the globe are likely to be interested in acquiring his services in the January transfer window.

The 27-year-old has proven over the past couple of campaigns that he has the ability to remain consistent in his goalscoring, netting 28 times in 73 Championship appearances across the previous two terms.

If top-flight outfits across Europe begin to eye up a move for the forward, it could be extremely hard for Wright to resist the temptation to move up to a higher level.

However, one factor that could force him to remain at the CBS Arena is the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

The competition will be hosted in the USA, Mexico and Canada, which would see Haji representing the USMNT on home soil.

Going into the tournament, Wright will want to be on top form to ensure that he plays a big role in their fortunes and performing at his current level is a good way of making that happen.

A transfer away could potentially risk everything though, as there is no guarantee that the attacker will enjoy the same success and consistent football in a new system.

If Wright’s performances suddenly took a dip and he was no longer scoring goals on a regular basis, it could threaten how much of a role he plays in his nation’s fortunes at the World Cup.

The Coventry forward won’t want to risk this scenario, so may choose to avoid any interest in January and remain at the CBS Arena.

Coventry City must refuse any Haji Wright interest in January

As much as a move away from the CBS Arena may hamper Wright’s chances of leading the USMNT in the World Cup, Coventry must make sure that they don’t entertain any offers for his services.

The Sky Blues have been working extremely well as a unit so far this season, with multiple operators combining regularly to score on an almost constant basis.

However, Wright has been their best player by far and appears to be in the form of his life. If Coventry are to go one better than last season and achieve promotion to the Premier League, they can’t be cashing in on their top performer in January.

This would see them lose all of the 27-year-old’s attacking qualities and could also heavily impact morale in the dressing room. If other members of the squad see their top goalscorer sold in January, it will lead to questions over what the Sky Blues’ ultimate goals are.

Therefore, both Coventry