Celtic will face off against Dutch giants Ajax in Italy as part of their pre-season preparations for the 2025/26 campaign, with fresh details of the newly-formed Como Cup tournament now confirmed.
The Hoops’ summer schedule is beginning to take clear shape, offering Brendan Rodgers a variety of tests across Europe. Things kick off with a friendly against Queen’s Park at The City Stadium on Friday, July 4. The squad will then head to Ireland to face Cork City on Tuesday, July 8.
Celtic’s preparations ramp up in Portugal, where they meet Sporting CP in the Algarve on Wednesday, July 16, before returning to Glasgow to host Premier League side Newcastle United at Celtic Park on Saturday, July 19.
From there, the squad heads to Italy for the first Como Cup, a four-team tournament hosted by Como. Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli and Ajax round out the line-up, adding a an interesting mix to the pre-season fixtures.
Four clubs. One lake. One unforgettable week.#FootballOnTheLake #ComoCup pic.twitter.com/nUjo7bl6L0
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) June 3, 2025
The format sees only four matches played, beginning with Como v Al-Ahli on Wednesday, July 23. Celtic’s only group-stage match is against Ajax on Thursday, July 24.
A mini league table will determine the standings, with the top two progressing to the final on Sunday, July 27. The remaining sides will contest a third-place play-off a day earlier on Saturday, July 26.
These fixtures provide Brendan Rodgers with a valuable chance to prepare the squad ahead of a challenging season on both domestic and European fronts. With the Premiership schedule set to be announced on Friday, June 20, and Champions League qualifiers looming in August, getting this pre-season right will be crucial to ensuring Celtic hit the ground running when the competitive action begins.
