The reigning Scottish champions Celtic FC will host Kazakh champions Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park in Glasgow on Wednesday. The match is the first leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier playoffs series.
Celtic enter this clash as clear favorites at home and are looking to qualify for the UCL group stages for the fourth time in five years. Brendan Rodgers’ men continue their dominance in the 2025/26 campaign, winning back-to-back league games against St. Mirren 1- 0 and Aberdeen 2-0.
On the other hand, Kairat have defied expectations in the qualifiers, beating Olimpija Ljubljana 3-1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round and overturning a first-leg deficit against Finland’s KuPS. Last week, they ousted Slovan Bratislava on penalties in the third round, setting up their toughest challenge yet, against Celtic.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the weekly schedule.
Celtic vs. Kairat live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Champions League qualifier in the U.S.:
TV channel: —
Live stream: Paramount+, ViX, Amazon Prime Video
This game is not available for live TV broadcast. Streaming options are available on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video. Spanish viewers can stream the game on ViX.
Paramount+ gives subscribers the ability to watch basketball, football, golf, and soccer, and they won’t have to break the bank in order to follow along with the latest sporting events. Paramount+ does have a FREE trial, so new subscribers can enjoy it for one week before making a payment.
What time does Celtic vs. Kairat kick off?
This Celtic vs. Kairat Champions League qualifier clash takes place at the Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland and kicks off on Wednesday, August 20 at 08:00 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across the U.S.:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Wed, Aug. 20 | 3:00 p.m. |
| Central Time | Wed, Aug. 20 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | Wed, Aug. 20 | 1:00 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | Wed, Aug. 20 | 12:00 p.m. |
Champions League qualifier fixture schedule this week
Tuesday, August 19
- Ferencváros vs Qarabağ (3:00 p.m. ET)
- Crvena Zvezda vs Pafos (3:00 p.m. ET)
- Rangers vs Club Brugge (3:00 p.m. ET)
Wednesday, August 20
- Bodø/Glimt vs Sturm Graz (3:00 p.m. ET)
- Celtic vs Kairat Almaty (3:00 p.m. ET)
- Basel vs Copenhagen (3:00 p.m. ET)
- Fenerbahçe vs Benfica (3:00 p.m. ET)
