Player Watch · Jul 21, 2026
Maeda's Sweden strike was up for Goal of the Tournament · voting now closed
Voting's wrapped on the World Cup 2026 Goal of the Tournament, and Daizen Maeda's strike against Sweden didn't take the crown; the award went elsewhere. No shame in it. He made the 12-goal shortlist alongside Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, and his was the outlier and the best kind: not a solo wondergoal but a flowing team move, slick one-touch passing and razor movement that ripped Sweden open in the group stage and finished as one of the whole tournament's cleanest goals. The Nation showed up for it. It'll live on our highlight reels long after we've forgotten who took the trophy. 🔵🌊🇯🇵⚽️