Celtic talisman gets World Cup call-up - but Parkhead teammate misses out alongside EPL star

Maeda, 27, has been in scintillating form for Celtic recently, scoring seven goals in his last five games to take Martin O’Neill’s side within a point of league leaders Hearts, and has now capped off a perfect month by confirming his spot in Hajime Moriyasu’s squad.

Drawn in Group F of the tournament, Japan will begin their campaign against the Netherlands on June 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before Maeda faces Celtic teammate Sebastian Tounekti and his Tunisia side on June 21. They end their group stage fixtures with a game against Sweden, as they look to progress to the knockout stages of the competition for only the fourth time in their history.

While Maeda is viewed as one of the most important players in Moriyasu’s squad, out-of-favour Celtic midfielder Hatate’s difficult campaign continues, with his international exile now extended to 14 months. The 28-year-old has not featured for the national team since a 0-0 World Cup qualification draw against Saudi Arabia in March 2025, where he played the final 16 minutes of the clash as a substitute.

Former Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi is also not included in the squad, with Birmingham City struggling in the EFL Championship this year, before seeing his season curtailed by a shoulder injury in March that required surgery.

Alongside the aforementioned duo, Japan have also been dealt a major blow with the confirmation that Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma has been ruled out of the World Cup after he sustained a hamstring injury in the Seagulls' 3-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. Moriyasu admitted Japan had lost "a major presence" in Mitoma, adding that the news of his injury “will hurt him more than it hurts anyone," he added.

Hatate has now been left out of the Japanese squad for the World Cup for the second time. He was also omitted from the World Cup in Qatar four years ago. National team boss Moriyasu justified his decision by stating: "We selected players who will be on the same wavelength as a team, who will be able to move and link up together, who through their organisation will be able to make use of their individual strengths."

The former Kawasaki Frontale player had endured a difficult campaign at club level, having started just 19 of the club's 37 league games this season. He has not featured for Celtic since a 2-0 away defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice in late March, with manager Martin O’Neill saying: “I think two seasons ago, Reo was one of the best [footballers] in Scotland really. Midfield players tend to go through these little periods where you can’t do anything wrong. But you make three or four mistakes in a match in relatively quick succession, and then you lose a bit of confidence.”

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