Celtic FC and Paris Saint-Germain, two iconic football clubs with distinct identities, are on the cusp of an exciting clash at Celtic Park.
Established in 1887, Celtic FC's origins are rooted in a noble cause – the alleviation of poverty among the immigrant Irish population in Glasgow. Over the years, Celtic has evolved into a powerhouse in Scottish football, boasting more than 50 Scottish Premiership titles. However, their greatest achievement came in 1967, when they won their first and only European Cup by beating Inter Milan 2-1 in the final.
While Celtic FC has frequently graced the UEFA Champions League stage in recent years, advancing deep into the tournament has proved rather difficult. Their most impressive campaign in the 21st century came in the 2012/13 season, beating FC Barcelona 2-1 in the group stage and consequently advancing to the knockout rounds.
Paris Saint-Germain can empathise with Celtic’s frustrations in the UEFA Champions League. Since being bought by their Qatari owners in 2011, PSG has dominated French football but is still yet to get their hands on a prized Champions League trophy. Their best performance came in 2020, when they reached the showpiece final. Yet, there they were beaten by Bayern Munich.
Founded in 1970, PSG quickly built a reputation as one of France’s best clubs. They had two Ligue 1 titles to their name before the club was sold to the Emir of Qatar. Their aggressive pursuit of success culminated in a series of high-profile acquisitions, such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, and Lionel Messi.
Celtic FC vs Paris Saint-Germain Head to Head
Celtic have a horrendous record against Paris Saint-Germain. They first met in the second round of the 1995/96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The eventual tournament winner, PSG thrashed Celtic 4-0 on aggregate.
Their next meetings in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage were even more one-sided, with the Scottish club unable to handle Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Edinson Cavani. Celtic suffered their heaviest ever home European defeat in the opening group game, losing 5-0 to PSG. In the return fixture, PSG came from behind to beat Celtic 7-1 at the Parc des Princes.
To witness their next encounter live, fans can buy Celtic FC vs Paris Saint-Germain tickets right here on SeatPick,
Celtic FC vs Paris Saint-Germain Connections
Odsonne Édouard came through the PSG youth academy, but never made a competitive appearance for the club. The Parisians sent the French forward on loan to Celtic in the 2017/18 season, and he joined the Bhoys on a permanent deal at the end of the season. Édouard stayed in Glasgow until 2021, when Crystal Palace splashed out £14m to sign him.
In 2019, US winger Timothy Weah also moved to Celtic on loan from PSG as a youngster. George Weah’s son moved to Lille at the end of his loan spell in Scotland, and secured a move to Juventus in 2023.
