Daizen Maeda at FIFA World Cup 2026
Celtic
Primary
Forward
Others
Left Winger, Right Winger
Daizen Maeda gives Japan extreme front-line intensity in the 2026 cycle because very few attackers match his pace, pressing range, and willingness to run all game.
The Celtic forward arrives with a trophy-heavy club spell in Scotland and a playing style that makes him useful even when he is not the main scorer.
Quick Answer
Daizen Maeda is a 28-year-old Japan forward for Celtic.
He is primarily used as a forward, with cover across left winger, right winger.
His current club contract runs through June 2027.
His reported weekly salary is Terms under review, and his estimated net worth is Financial analysis pending.
Team Overview
Maeda matters because Japan need attackers who can turn defensive pressure into attacking momentum in seconds.
He gives the side speed, direct running, and relentless work without the ball, which changes the tone of matches even before the final action happens.
Early Life and Background
Maeda was born in Osaka and developed through Taishi JSC, Kawakami FC, and Yamanashi Gakuin High School before turning professional with Matsumoto Yamaga in 2016.
His rise was not built around polished technique alone. It came from raw pace, repeated attacking runs, and the physical commitment to keep stretching defences all game.
Daizen Maeda Personal Info and Profile
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Daizen Maeda |
| Date of birth | 20 October 1997 |
| Age | 28 |
| Nationality | Japan |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | 67 kg |
| Position | Forward |
| Preferred foot | Right |
| Current club | Celtic |
| Contract end | June 2027 |
| Transfer value | €14M |
| Jersey number | 38 |
| Weekly salary | Terms under review |
| Estimated net worth | Financial analysis pending |
Daizen Maeda Club Career
Matsumoto Yamaga gave Maeda his senior start, while a loan at Mito HollyHock in 2017 helped him prove he could turn speed into real goal output.
He later moved on loan to Marítimo in Portugal before returning to Japan and exploding with Yokohama F. Marinos, where he scored 23 league goals in 2021 and shared the J.League Golden Boot.
That season changed his career path and opened the move to Celtic at the start of 2022.
Celtic first signed Maeda on loan in January 2022 before making the deal permanent, and in July 2023 the club extended his contract through June 2027.
His time in Glasgow has brought repeated domestic honours, including a treble in 2022/23, while his pressing, movement, and work rate have kept him central to the side even when his finishing runs hot and cold.
That matters for Japan because he arrives from a winning environment where high-intensity football is demanded every week.
Daizen Maeda - Stats and Performance
| Season | Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2020 | Matsumoto Yamaga | League play | 56 | 9 |
| 2017 | Mito HollyHock | League play | 36 | 13 |
| 2019-2020 | Marítimo | League play | 23 | 3 |
| 2020-2021 | Yokohama F. Marinos | League play | 65 | 29 |
| 2022-26 | Celtic | All competitions | 157 | 58 |
| Career Total | Senior club football | 337 | 112 |
Maeda's value comes from constant disruption, because his movement and pressing force mistakes and create attacking situations even before his own shot arrives.
International Career
Maeda made his senior Japan debut in 2019 and has reached 27 caps with 4 goals in the current cycle, while also representing the country at the Tokyo Olympics.
His best-known senior international moment came at the 2022 World Cup when he scored against Croatia in the round of 16, showing how dangerous he can be in transition-heavy knockout football.
| National team | Caps | Goals | Tournament involvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan U23 | 2018-2021 | 13 | 3 |
| Japan | 2019– | 27 | 4 |
Honours and Trophies
Transfer News and Market Value
The key 2026 Maeda story is contract stability rather than immediate transfer movement, because Celtic still have him tied down through June 2027.
His market value has risen with his work in Scotland, but his football value to Japan is still defined more by pressing and tactical impact than by headline transfer drama.
Daizen Maeda Salary and Net Worth
Daizen Maeda's contract length at Celtic is publicly visible through June 2027, but a clean and fully unlocked public weekly wage figure is not consistently available across major salary trackers.
Because of that, the salary line stays cautious here. The firmer public markers are his contract status, his long Celtic honours list, and his current €14M market value in the 2026 cycle.
Daizen Maeda 2026 Style, Strengths, and Tournament Outlook
Maeda's biggest tournament strength is that he can change the emotional speed of a match with one recovery sprint or one aggressive run in behind.
The challenge is turning that volume of movement into calm finishing against stronger World Cup defences that allow fewer clear moments.
Even so, he remains one of the most useful attacking profiles in Japan's 2026 squad.
