The March international break has concluded, and several Celtic stars return to Glasgow with their tails between their legs.
There is no doubt that the biggest winner of them all is Benjamin Nygren, after he helped Sweden dramatically book their ticket for this summer’s World Cup.
Auston Trusty and Sebastian Tounekti also emerged with plenty of credit, earning strong scores in 67 Hail Hail‘s recent international player ratings.
Name your three best Japanese players to have represented Celtic?
Some cult heroes from Japan have worn that famous shirt!
Benjamin Nygren is heading to the World Cup – 9/10
Two games, and two outstanding performances from Celtic’s marmite-like figure.
Nygren is an enigma at Celtic, but one thing you can’t deny is that he has end product, and he produced that over two huge matches for Sweden.
Assisting against Ukraine and then in the World Cup play-off final against Poland, the versatile attacker helped Sweden reach the 2026 World Cup, alongside former Celtic defenders Gustaf Lagerbielke and Carl Starfelt.
| Games | Starts | Goals | Assists | Key passes | Defensive contributions | Total minutes |
| 2 | 2 | – | 2 | 3 | 7 | 171 |
Auston Trusty boosts World Cup chances – 8/10
Before heading out to the States after Celtic’s defeat to Dundee United, where Trusty was on the bench, he only had five USMNT caps to his name, and only one under Mauricio Pochettino.
He was an unused substitute for the USMNT’s 5-2 hammering against Belgium last week, and was then brought into the XI against Portugal for his nation’s final friendly before the World Cup squad is picked.
Despite the USA suffering a 2-0 defeat, several pundits believe Trusty has boosted his World Cup chances with a strong performance against a very skilful Portuguese attack.
| Pundit | Quote |
| Tony Meola | “His stock has probably lifted more than anyone’s in this camp.” |
| Charlie Davies | “I think he made the World Cup roster, by the way, on tonight’s performance.” |
Daizen Maeda captains Japan in Scotland – 6/10
Staying in Glasgow for the break, Daizen Maeda wore the captain’s armband as Japan beat Scotland at Hampden.
It was a mid-performance from Celtic’s versatile forward, who didn’t do much wrong, but nor did he impress as he would have liked.
Japan then beat England 1-0 at Wembley days later, but Maeda was left on the bench.
What can Celtic do to help Daizen Maeda get back to his best?
Viljami Sinisalo is pushing to be Finland’s number one – 7/10
2026 could be a huge year for Viljami Sinisalo because it could see him become Celtic and Finland’s long-term number one.
The door is open on the domestic stage, and he is also starting to make a move in the colours of his country.
The legendary Lukas Hradecky is coming towards the end of his career, and it is resulting in Sinisalo earning more minutes on the international stage.
Sinisalo started Finland’s 2-0 win over New Zealand, but was benched for his side’s 1-1 draw against Cape Verde, as he returns to Celtic with another clean sheet to his name.
Sebastian Tounekti nets first international goal – 8/10
It was a March international trip for Sebastian Tounekti to remember because he netted his first goal for Tunisia during his side’s 1-0 win over Haiti.
At the ninth time of asking, Tounekti has struck gold, and then in his tenth international cap, he produced an encouraging 45 minutes during his nation’s goalless draw against Canada.
Does Sebastian Tounekti have a future beyond this season at Celtic?
Hyunjun Yang struggles to carry Celtic form to South Korea – 2/10
One glaring negative from a Celtic perspective was Hyunjun Yang’s torrid time away with South Korea.
Enduring two consecutive defeats, his window was defined by a heavy loss to the Ivory Coast. Yang was on the pitch for a bruising 45 minutes as his side conceded four goals, before managing just a brief 27-minute appearance in a subsequent match against Austria.
- Yang’s Sofascore rating against the Ivory Coast: 6.6
- Yang’s Sofascore rating against Austria: 6.7
Liam Scales watches Ireland suffer World Cup heartache – 6/10
Celtic’s hard-hitting defender was suspended for the Republic of Ireland’s penalty shootout World Cup play-off defeat to the Czech Republic.
It means that while one part of Celtic’s dressing room will be overjoyed with booking their World Cup ticket, Liam Scales watched his teammates suffer a heartbreaking defeat from the sidelines.
Scales then played a left-side wing-back role against North Macedonia in a friendly match, producing a steady display, which helped the Irish to a clean sheet.
Kieran Tierney plays in a back three – 6/10
Kieran Tierney must have had Wilfried Nancy flashbacks when he played in a back three during Scotland’s 1-0 defeat to the Ivory Coast.
It was a steady display from Celtic’s standout player of the year, who also earned around 20 minutes during the defeat to Japan.
Tierney showcased positive link-up play with Andy Robertson on the left flank, and perhaps that’s something Celtic fans will see next season.
- Other mentions: Johnny Kenny and Anthony Ralston (played under ten minutes).
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