This year’s World Cup in Qatar could see as many as six different Celtic F.C. players featuring for their country at the tournament. Ange Postecoglou’s squad is very diverse, with international players from across the globe.
Here is a look at four players who look set to be important for their respective countries in the upcoming tournament.
Kyogo Furuhashi (Japan)
Forward Kyogo Furuhashi may be one of three Celtic players featuring for Japan at the World Cup. Since arriving at Celtic Park in July 2021, the former Vissel Kobe player has been in excellent goalscoring form.
?? Kyogo Furuhashi at Celtic:
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?3?8?#UCL pic.twitter.com/KbLxY1r63e— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2022
Furuhashi scored 20 goals in all competitions last season. The 27-year-old was named in the PFA Team of the Season as he proved to be a big part of Celtic’s double success in the league and Scottish League Cup.
The Celtic star has got off to a fantastic start this season and is one of the reasons The Bhoys are doing so well in the Scottish league table. He should go to the World Cup full of confidence.
Japan have been drawn into a tough group alongside Spain, Germany, and Costa Rica. As of the 28th of September, they are 4/1 in the World Cup betting to advance through to the last 16 of the competition.
Aaron Mooy (Australia)
With 52 appearances for Australia, midfielder Aaron Mooy is not short of international experience. This will be his second World Cup for his country, as he featured in Russia in 2018 when the Socceroos were eliminated in the group stages.
The 32-year-old has been an excellent signing for the club since arriving from Shanghai SIPG in the summer. Several teams in England were interested in his services, but he opted to join the Hoops.
Mooy has scored seven times for Australia, including twice in the qualification campaign for this tournament. His experience is going to prove invaluable for his country, as they are going to be underdogs in all three of their group games against France, Denmark, and Tunisia.
As he has shown in the fixtures & results throughout his career, Mooy is a very good penalty taker who handles the pressure of the situation well. Any penalties awarded to Australia at the tournament are likely to be taken by Mooy
Cameron Carter-Vickers (United States)
After impressing on his season-long loan deal to Celtic last year, the club signed Cameron Carter-Vickers permanently during the summer. That is likely to be smart business as he is a player who is developing into a top-class centre-back.
Carter-Vickers returned to the United States national team earlier this year following a three-year absence. He looks set to be part of their starting line-up for the World Cup this year.
The Stars and Stripes did not qualify for the World Cup four years ago. They will be hoping to make a big impact on their return to the biggest tournament in international football. The talented Carter-Vickers can do his reputation no harm with some big performances for the USMNT.
Josip Juranovic (Croatia)
Right-back Josip Juranovic was also named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year (Premiership) last season. He proved to be very consistent in that role in what was his first season with Celtic.
??? Good luck to Josip Juranovic and Croatia tonight! #InternationalCelts? pic.twitter.com/CEsAepoDeu
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) June 3, 2022
Juranovic is a regular in the Croatia national team squad. He has made 21 appearances for his country, but 16 of those have come since 2021. The Celtic man was a starter for his country at the European Championship last year where he was on the right side of a back four. The 2018 World Cup runners-up were eliminated in the last 16 by Spain.
As he has shown with Celtic, Juranovic is comfortable playing at left-back and right-back, which makes him a very useful tournament player. He is also a good penalty taker, with goals from the spot kick coming against Real Betis and Bayer Leverkusen last season.
At a reported £2.5 million, Juranovic is proving to be an excellent bargain for the Scottish champions. It will be interesting to see how he performs for his country against Belgium, Canada, and Morocco. Croatia will undoubtedly fancy their chances of making it through from their group.
With the domestic season paused until the World Cup concludes, Celtic fans can cheer on their players at the four-week tournament in Qatar.
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