Celtic forward Daizen Maeda has been included in Japan‘s 26-man roster for the upcoming World Cup in the United States, alongside Canada and Mexico this summer.
This will be Maeda’s second consecutive World Cup appearance; he featured in the 2022 tournament, where he made three appearances and scored once as Japan advanced to the last 16 in Qatar.
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The 28-year-old, with four goals in 27 caps for Japan, is focused on helping Celtic achieve a domestic double, as they prepare for a title showdown against Hearts on Saturday, followed by the Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline next weekend, before joining the national team.
Japan, placed in Group F, will open their tournament against the Netherlands on June 14, followed by matches against Tunisia on June 21 and Sweden five days later.
Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, currently out with a hamstring injury, has not been included in Japan’s squad by manager Hajime Moriyasu.
Additionally, Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate, who has faced challenges with form this year, has not received a call-up from Japan for over a year.
[BBC]