Celtic’s journey in European football over the last decade has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, well, mainly lows.
In the grand scheme of European competitions, Celtic’s recent track record, especially in the Champions League, leaves much to be desired. Over the last two seasons, the Hoops have found themselves finishing at the bottom of their Champions League group twice, with just one win.
The club’s most notable recent success on the European stage came under Neil Lennon in 2019, when Celtic progressed beyond the Europa League group stage, achieving a historic victory in Italy against Lazio.
Despite these setbacks, Celtic’s ambition and self-perception as one of Europe’s most significant clubs remain undimmed. However, a recent FIFA ranking sheds light on the reality of Celtic’s current standing in European football. According to FIFA’s criteria for the 2025 Club World Cup qualification, which takes into account performances in the Champions League from 2021 to 2024, Celtic finds themselves ranked 37th.
This ranking is based on a points system that rewards wins, draws, and progression through various stages of the competition. With just one win, three draws, and eight losses during this period, Celtic’s tally of eight points places them on par with clubs like Marseille and Zenit St Petersburg but below European football’s elite.
While this ranking might be seen as disappointing, it’s important to note that Celtic is still performing better than some notable clubs, including Feyenoord, Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen, and Union Berlin.
Rivals, Rangers, are quite the bit below Celtic, sitting in 62nd place.
Hardly something to shout about, our recent Champoons League record is just a bit less pish than the H#ns. Lucky we aren’t comparing our recent Europa League records…