Celtic will have to navigate a Champions League play-off round next season if they want to secure their place in Europe’s elite competition, breaking the recent trend of automatic group-stage qualification for the Scottish champions.
For the past few seasons, the winners of the Scottish Premiership have been granted direct entry into the Champions League due to Scotland’s improved UEFA coefficient ranking. However, Scotland’s champions will now need to earn their spot through a two-legged qualifier.
According to Football Rankings on X, Celtic will enter the play-off round and will be seeded in the ‘Champions Path’. This means they will avoid some of the tougher non-league winners but could still face tricky opposition.
Potential Opponents
As it stands, some of the teams Celtic could face include:
- FC Basel (Switzerland)
- Qarabag (Azerbaijan)
- Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria)
- Sturm Graz (Austria)
Key Dates for the Champions League Qualifiers [UEFA]
- Play-off Draw: August 4, 2025
- First Leg: August 19/20, 2025
- Second Leg: August 26/27, 2025
- League Phase Draw: August 28, 2025
Brendan Rodgers and his squad will now need to prepare for a crucial start to the season, ensuring they are at their best to secure group-stage football for a third consecutive year. The competition for places in Europe is only getting tougher, and Celtic will have to be at their strongest to progress.
It will also mean that Celtic will need to get their main business done in the transfer window earlier in the summer, rather than leaving it until the last minute.
