2026 will be a World Cup year, and a number of Hoops will be heading stateside in the hope of coming home with the trophy.
The likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Benjamin Nygren and more are all expected to represent their countries during the tournament and could join an exclusive list of Celtic players involved in World Cups.
Edson Braafheid is the only Celtic player to play in a World Cup final, but the Bhoys have only ever had one person to win the competition and play for the club.
World Cup winner Juninho once played for Celtic
Juninho Paulista didn’t win the World Cup while at Celtic, but he did go on to wear the green and white kit.
The Brazil international was part of the squad that won the 2002 World Cup, helping to beat the likes of England along the way.
He was included in the squad for the tournament after returning to form following a difficult few years, and played a big part.
Juninho played five times in the run to the final, starting four of them and although he didn’t score, he was crucial in winning the tournament.
Juninho struggled at Celtic
Two years after winning the World Cup, Juninho signed for Celtic after falling out of favour at Middlesbrough.
Sadly, it was never a move that worked out as Martin O’Neill often played him out of position to accommodate younger, hungrier players like Stiliyan Petrov.
His only goal came in a 3-0 win against Hearts but he would leave at the end of that season to return to his native Brazil and join Palmeiras after making just 22 appearances across all competitions.
While he didn’t pull up any trees in Glasgow, having a World Cup winner amongst the ranks was special.
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