Kairat Almaty create piece of Champions League history after win over Celtic and it may never be topped

Kairat Almaty, a team from the Kazakhstan Premier League, will play in the Champions League league phase this season after Rafael Urazbakhtin's side defeated Celtic in a historic penalty shoot-out.

It was a night to remember for the Kazakh minnows as they secured a £40 million prize pot and a place in the group stage of Europe's elite competition.

Coming into Tuesday night's play-off second leg, Brendan Rodgers' side were expected to reach the next stage of the Champions League with ease, even after last week's dismal performance in a 0-0 draw at Parkhead.

But after making the gruelling 3,500-mile trip to Kazakhstan, Celtic struggled again and were soon knocked out on penalties, with 21-year-old goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov making three crucial saves in the shoot-out.

Almaty, meanwhile, have made history by becoming the eastern-most club to ever reach the group stage of the Champions League – a feat that means some of Europe's biggest hitters could travel thousands of miles in the coming months.

🇰🇿 This is where Kairat Almaty are located.

More east than the whole of Afghanistan and more east than the most western part of China.

Almaty will host Champions League League Phase football.

Giants such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG might have to travel here! pic.twitter.com/8k4dDANgkT

— The European Football Express (@TheEuroFE) August 26, 2025

Here's how fans on social media reacted to their achievement.

One said: "Kazakhstan's second city is so far east that it is 4,500km from Central Europe & even further east than China's western border. Some epic away days lie ahead."

A second wrote: "Champions League football will be played in the middle of Asia!" while a third commented: "An incredible achievement."

A fourth added: "Kairat Almaty are the eastern-most club to ever play in the Champions League and the second ever Kazakh club to play in the UCL. We have a new debutant in the UCL."

Speaking after the full-time whistle, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers expressed his disappointment at the result.

"It was very frustrating," he said. "It’s bitterly disappointing because we were on the right track last season, playing really good football, so to not be in there this season is a huge blow for us."

Rodgers added: "We all know the consequence. We want to be in the Champions League. We aren’t. The Europa League’s still a prestigious tournament, but we missed a massive opportunity in these two games."