For 250 days, Hearts led the Scottish Premiership and constantly pried the Old Firm's grip on the league. Heading into a final-day clash at Celtic Park, all Hearts needed was a win or a draw to claim the title.
But during that final day of the 2025-26 Premiership campaign, Celtic defeated Hearts 3-1 to snatch the title at the last time of asking and deny the Edinburgh-based club the league title.
Lawrence Shankland, the Premiership's top scorer during the 2023-24 campaign, gave Hearts the early lead in the 42nd minute of play. However, Arne Engels equalized from the penalty spot during first-half stoppage time to send the contest into the break on level terms.
At the end of the second half, Daizen Maeda gave Celtic the 2-1 lead before Callum Osmand put the ball into an empty net to secure the league title for Celtic. The league title acted as Celtic's fifth-straight title and their 20th since the turn of the milennium.
With the title win came another appearance for USMNT center-back Auston Trusty, who accumulated 41 appearances for Celtic over the past two seasons since joining from EFL Championship side Sheffield United. While he accumulated a red card in his club's second encounter with Hearts, a 2-2 draw in January, Trusty avoided any kind of punishment from the officials during Celtic's lone triumph over Hearts.
Dreams could fuel Auston Trusty to a World Cup appearance with the USMNT
In an interview with The Athletic, Trusty commented on his passion for the game and how he uses it to fuel his performance and a push for a spot on manager Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT World Cup lineup. Among other things, he discussed how he liked to picture himself playing in some big games like those that make up the FIFA World Cup, claiming that seeing the moment in the form of a dream allowed for further reinforcement of his on-pitch performance.
Trusty also stated that the strategy did include imagining himself playing in a World Cup game. As a result, it's fair to assume that if his ability to picture himself in big club games and putting together meaningful performances does lead to tangible results, then Pochettino should find a way to include a footballer as passionate as Trusty into his World Cup lineup.
Before Pochettino names his team, Trusty is set to contest another big game
On May 26, the identities of the players representing the USMNT at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be known. CBS Sports recently projected that Trusty isn't a lock to make the roster, but that he nonetheless has a shot at making the World Cup lineup and that the increased reliability associated with his play could be something that works in Pochettino's favor down the line.
The good news is that Celtic will contest one more competitive fixture before their season is out: the Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline Athletic.
Considering that Trusty started three of the four games contested by Celtic in that tournament, including their 6-2 win over St. Mirren in their semifinal round tie, it should be all but a certainty that he earns an appearance in the final.
If I were Pochettino, I would once again be looking for a calm, collected, and confident stint from the Media, Pennsylvania native. That would instil confidence in the notion that Trusty can remain collected when, for example, the game is on the line, and the team is defending a close result in the final minutes of the match. Having that kind of personality will allow Pochettino to build a defense that can withstand the quick attack that Türkiye possesses or the defensive, counterattack-heavy brand of football that defines Paraguay's national team.
Celtic's end-of-season title push and their upcoming cup final have given Scottish league football the spotlight it deserves with regard to the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
If Trusty can continue to thrive in the spotlight provided, then he could very well see his name in the presentation of the USMNT's World Cup lineup.
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