{"id":2575,"date":"2026-06-12T07:08:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T11:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/?post_type=news&p=2575"},"modified":"2026-07-20T06:28:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T10:28:32","slug":"alistair-johnston","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/alistair-johnston\/","title":{"rendered":"Alistair Johnston: in-depth analysis of Canada’s Celtic right-back at World Cup 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alistair Johnston<\/strong> has quietly become one of the most dependable players in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad, and the Celtic right-back will be central to how the co-hosts defend at a home World Cup in 2026. This in-depth profile breaks down his career, his numbers on both sides of the ball, and exactly what he gives Canada at the back.<\/p>\n\n

The road to the top: from Nashville to Celtic<\/h2>\n

Johnston took the North American route to the top. A Wake Forest college product, he turned pro with Nashville SC in MLS, moved to CF Montr\u00e9al, and then earned a January 2023 transfer to Celtic that put him on Champions League nights and at the heart of a serial Scottish champion. The table below covers the seasons logged in our database rather than full career totals.<\/p>\n

\n
Club<\/th>Apps<\/th>Minutes<\/th>Tackles won<\/th>Interceptions<\/th>Clearances<\/th>Aerial duels won<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Nashville SC<\/td>33<\/td>2,645<\/td>28<\/td>24<\/td>43<\/td>19<\/td><\/tr>\n
CF Montr\u00e9al<\/td>36<\/td>2,828<\/td>31<\/td>36<\/td>41<\/td>25<\/td><\/tr>\n
Celtic<\/td>109<\/td>8,423<\/td>122<\/td>71<\/td>200<\/td>136<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>
Alistair Johnston’s tracked defensive output (Squawka database).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

A genuine ball-winner<\/h2>\n

The foundation of Johnston’s game is volume defending. Across 109 tracked games for Celtic, covering 8,423 minutes, he won 122 of his tackles, made 71 interceptions and racked up 200 clearances, 101 of them with his head. He also came out on top in 460 duels, more than half of everything he contested, and won 136 aerial battles despite a fairly typical full-back frame.<\/p>\n

Those are not flat-track numbers. Celtic dominate the ball at home, so a defender posting that clearance and duel volume is doing his heaviest work in the harder games, the Champions League nights and Old Firm derbies where his team sees less of the ball. That is the exact context Canada will face against elite opposition in 2026.<\/p>\n\n

More than a defender: Johnston on the ball<\/h2>\n

What lifts Johnston above a pure stopper is his contribution in possession. At Celtic he completed 85% of his passes and played 2,069 of them into the final third, the output of a full-back trusted to build and progress play rather than simply clear it. He attempted 289 open-play crosses, carried the ball with 48 successful dribbles at a 60% take-on rate, and hit 230 accurate long balls to switch the angle of attack.<\/p>\n

It is a modern full-back’s profile: defend first, but offer a reliable outlet and a crossing threat down the right. For Canada, that means width and service for forwards such as Jonathan David<\/a> and Tajon Buchanan<\/a> without leaving the back door open.<\/p>\n\n

What Johnston brings to Canada at World Cup 2026<\/h2>\n

Johnston is Canada’s first-choice right-back and one of the few members of the squad playing Champions League football week to week. His experience defending deep against better teams is tailor-made for a tournament in which Canada, for all their attacking talent, will spend long spells without the ball.<\/p>\n

He also fits Marsch’s aggressive, high-pressing system: a full-back who can step up, win the ball early and launch the counter. Alongside centre-back Mo\u00efse Bombito<\/a> and in front of a midfield anchored by Stephen Eust\u00e1quio<\/a>, Johnston gives Canada a right side that is both secure and able to join the attack. For the full picture, see our Canada World Cup 2026 profile<\/a> and the complete Canada squad guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

The watch-point: discipline<\/h2>\n

If there is one flag in the data, it is discipline. Johnston picked up 15 yellow cards across his tracked Celtic appearances and concedes his share of fouls, the by-product of an aggressive, front-foot style. He avoided a red card in that span, but against the quickest wingers at a World Cup, staying on his feet and out of the referee’s notebook will be a fine margin. Get that balance right and Johnston is exactly the experienced defender<\/a> a host nation needs.<\/p>\n\n

Canada vs Bosnia: how Alistair Johnston fared in the opener<\/h2>\n

Johnston played all 90 minutes at right-back but picked up a booking inside 11 minutes, which curbed his overlapping, even as he won five duels and made four clearances in the 1-1 draw. See our Canada vs Bosnia player ratings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bosnia opener<\/th>Stat<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Minutes<\/td>90<\/td><\/tr>
Duels won<\/td>5<\/td><\/tr>
Clearances<\/td>4<\/td><\/tr>
Pass accuracy<\/td>73%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n

After the Bosnia opener:<\/strong> the watch-points were staying disciplined and getting forward more. Read our Canada vs Qatar prediction<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

The assist machine at right-back<\/h2>\n

Johnston’s end product sets him apart from most defenders. At Celtic he has racked up 17 assists and created 34 big chances — clear-cut openings — from full-back, feeding 468 passes into the penalty area and forcing 89 corners along the way. For a player picked first for his defending, that is a remarkable secondary scoring threat.<\/p>\n

He chips in at the other end, too, with six goals for Celtic and four more during his Montr\u00e9al spell, where he also weighed in with 34 chances created in a single MLS season. That habit of arriving in the box and delivering decisive final balls gives Canada an extra attacking dimension from the right flank — an overlapping outlet who turns defensive solidity into goals.<\/p>\n\n\n

Alistair Johnston against Qatar<\/h2>\n

Johnston was a relentless outlet on the right in the 6-0 win over Qatar, creating a team-high six chances from full-back and getting 13 touches in the opposition box across the full 90 minutes. Defensively untroubled behind a dominant team, it was his attacking output that caught the eye. Read the full Canada vs Qatar player ratings<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

Alistair Johnston in Canada’s run to the last 16<\/h2>\n

Johnston was a defensive mainstay. He made six clearances and three interceptions in the Switzerland defeat and added three more clearances and three duels won in the South Africa victory, a reliable presence at right-back as Canada ground their way into the last 16.<\/p>\n\n\n

Who is Alistair Johnston?<\/strong>

Alistair Johnston is a Canadian right-back for Celtic and one of the first-choice defenders in the Canada men’s national team. He previously played for Nashville SC and CF Montreal in MLS.<\/p><\/div>

What position does Alistair Johnston play?<\/strong>

Right-back. He is an aggressive, ball-winning defender who also contributes crosses and overlapping runs going forward.<\/p><\/div>

What club does Alistair Johnston play for?<\/strong>

Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, who he joined in January 2023 from CF Montreal.<\/p><\/div>

Will Alistair Johnston play at the World Cup 2026?<\/strong>

Johnston is Canada’s first-choice right-back and is expected to start at the 2026 World Cup, though the final selection rests with head coach Jesse Marsch.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

19+ (18+ in AB\/MB\/QC). Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON) — see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An in-depth analysis of Alistair Johnston: the Celtic right-back’s career, defensive numbers, on-ball game and his role for Canada at the World Cup 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3588,"featured_media":3542,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Alistair Johnston","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Alistair Johnston: Stats, Celtic & Canada WC 2026 | Squawka","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"An in-depth analysis of Alistair Johnston: the Celtic right-back's stats, defensive numbers and on-ball game, and his role for Canada at the World Cup 2026.","footnotes":""},"tags":[263,262],"news-category":[],"class_list":["post-2575","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-canada","tag-world-cup-2026"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"\nAlistair Johnston: Stats, Celtic & Canada WC 2026 | Squawka<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An in-depth analysis of 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He previously played for Nashville SC and CF Montreal in MLS.","inLanguage":"en-CA"},"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/alistair-johnston\/#faq-question-johnston2","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/alistair-johnston\/#faq-question-johnston2","name":"What position does Alistair Johnston play?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Right-back. He is an aggressive, ball-winning defender who also contributes crosses and overlapping runs going forward.","inLanguage":"en-CA"},"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/alistair-johnston\/#faq-question-johnston3","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/alistair-johnston\/#faq-question-johnston3","name":"What club does Alistair Johnston play for?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, who he joined in January 2023 from CF Montreal.","inLanguage":"en-CA"},"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/alistair-johnston\/#faq-question-johnston4","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/alistair-johnston\/#faq-question-johnston4","name":"Will Alistair Johnston play at the World Cup 2026?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Johnston is Canada's first-choice right-back and is expected to start at the 2026 World Cup, though the final selection rests with head coach Jesse Marsch.","inLanguage":"en-CA"},"inLanguage":"en-CA"}]}},"yoast_title":"Alistair Johnston: Stats, Celtic & Canada WC 2026 | Squawka","yoast_description":"An in-depth analysis of Alistair Johnston: the Celtic right-back's stats, defensive numbers and on-ball game, and his role for Canada at the World Cup 2026.","yoast_keyword":"Alistair Johnston","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3588"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8087,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/2575\/revisions\/8087"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2575"},{"taxonomy":"news-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-category?post=2575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}