Eight Celtic players jetted off for an adventure at this summer’s World Cup, and now only two remain.
The knockout stages have been well underway, with some nations already into the round of 16, including Alistair Johnston of Canada and Auston Trusty with the United States of America.
But the likes of Daizen Maeda and Benjamin Nygren weren’t able to stay with their Celtic teammates on world football’s biggest stage.
Are you worried Alistair Johnston’s World Cup performances results in him leaving Celtic? 😬🍀
Interest is growing as Johnston thrives with Canada… 🇨🇦
Brutal and humbling World Cup exits for Daizen Maeda and Benjamin Nygren
One of the standout games of the round of 32 was Brazil’s showdown with Japan.
Many were backing this all-action Japan side to cause an upset and dethrone the might and flair of Brazil, who are being led by one of the greatest coaches of all time, Carlo Ancelotti.
Maeda started against Brazil, including being labelled ‘world-class’ by Ange Postecoglou, but it was heartbreak for the Celtic star.
That’s because his Japan side were beaten and knocked out right at the death after a stoppage-time winner from Gabriel Martinelli.
| Key Passes | Passes in opp half | Touches | Defensive contributions | Sofascore rating |
| 1 | 8/8 | 31 | 6 | 6.8 |
While Maeda and his Japan side had more than a chance against Brazil, Nygren was on a hiding to nothing in the colours of Sweden.
That’s because Graham Potter’s side were pitted up against one of the tournament favourites, France.
Nygren came off the bench in the 82nd minute, but the game was done and dusted by then because Kylian Mbappé had run riot with a brace, as the French eased to a 3-0 victory.
When could Alistair Johnston and Auston Trusty meet?
This was always a special World Cup for Johnston and Trusty because it is being played on home soil.
The United States of America are co-hosting the event alongside Mexico and Canada – all three nations are still in the tournament.
Canada beat South Africa on their way to the last 16, with Johnston playing the entire match, while Trusty watched from the bench as ten-man USMNT defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday.
There is a chance that Johnston and Trusty could meet at the semi-final stages, but they have a long way to go until then because some high-quality teams stand in their way.
- Canada v Morocco, Saturday, July 4, 18:00 (BST)
- The winner of the above tie will face either Paraguay or France
- And then the semi-final
- USMNT v Belgium, Tuesday, July 7, 01:00 (BST)
- The winner of the above tie faces either Portugal, Croatia, Spain or Austria
- And then the semi-final
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