Key Points
- Celtic host AC Milan at Celtic Park on Saturday, 25 July, in a pre-season friendly.
- The match is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 BST.
- AC Milan confirmed the fixture as part of their 2026 summer preparations for the 2026/27 season.
- Celtic’s game against Milan is their first meeting since their Europa League clashes in 2020.
- Celtic began their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Shelbourne in Ireland.
- The friendly is being played at Parkhead, with Celtic Park expected to host a significant test against Italian opposition.
Glasgow (Glasgow Express) July 23, 2026 – Celtic’s final pre-season friendly of the summer brings AC Milan to Celtic Park, with both clubs using the match as part of their preparations for the new campaign. As reported by AC Milan on the club’s official website, the Rossoneri confirmed the fixture on 8 June and said it would take place in Glasgow on 25 July as part of their build-up to the 2026/27 season.
The fixture comes after Celtic opened their summer programme with a 1-1 draw against Shelbourne in Ireland, a result that gave the squad an early competitive run-out before returning to Glasgow.
The club’s home return is also notable because it gives supporters their first look at the team back at Celtic Park since the title-winning finish against Hearts in May, according to the framing provided in the supplied material.
When is Celtic vs AC Milan?
The match is scheduled for Saturday, 25 July, with kick-off at 15:00 BST. BBC Sport reported that the friendly will be played at Celtic Park and will be the first time the clubs have met on the pitch since their 2020 Europa League encounters.
Several fixture listings and match pages also point to the same date and venue, reinforcing that this is a single confirmed summer friendly rather than part of a longer tournament.
Is there a TV channel for Celtic vs AC Milan?
The information available in the sourced material does not confirm a traditional UK television broadcast for the match. A preview published by Technosports says the game will stream live on CelticPlayer, Celtic’s official platform, and notes there is no confirmed traditional UK TV broadcast listed there.
That said, official ticket and broadcast details can change, and AC Milan’s announcement only said ticket information would be provided through the club’s official channels.
For readers tracking access, the safest verified detail is that CelticPlayer has been identified in one preview as the live-stream option, while no mainstream television channel is firmly confirmed in the available sources.
What is the predicted XI?
The material provided does not include a verified official predicted XI from Celtic or AC Milan, and neither club has published a final starting line-up in the sources reviewed.
A match preview site has indicated the fixture is likely to draw interest because both sides are using it as a serious test before the competitive season begins, but it does not provide a fully authoritative team sheet.
Because line-ups for pre-season friendlies are often fluid, any predicted XI should be treated cautiously until closer to kick-off.
The most reliable point at this stage is simply that Celtic are expected to use the game to assess fitness and rhythm after their early summer fixtures, while Milan are continuing their international tour of pre-season matches.
Which players and teams are involved?
AC Milan said the Glasgow fixture is one of two overseas friendlies forming part of their pre-season schedule, with more games planned in Australia, Indonesia and Poland.
Their announcement also said the match at Celtic Park comes before the tour and forms part of the club’s preparations for the new campaign.
Celtic’s side, meanwhile, enter the game after their summer opener in Ireland and a return to home turf at Celtic Park.
The broader context is a meeting between a Scottish champion and a major Serie A club, which gives the fixture extra weight even though it remains a friendly.
Why does this friendly matter?
The match offers both clubs a higher-level fitness test before competitive football begins. BBC Sport noted that it is Celtic’s pre-season preparation ahead of the 2026-27 domestic campaign, while AC Milan described it as part of their build-up to the new season.
For Celtic supporters, the appeal is not only the opposition but the timing, with the club back at home after the title-winning spring and now facing a prestigious continental opponent.
For Milan, the Glasgow trip adds a high-profile fixture to a broader international schedule that is designed to sharpen the squad before league action starts.
Background to the development
This fixture was first confirmed by AC Milan on 8 June, when the Italian club announced it would face Celtic in Glasgow on 25 July as part of its summer pre-season programme.
The announcement also placed the match in the context of Milan’s wider travel schedule, with additional friendlies lined up across Australia, Indonesia and Poland.
BBC Sport later reported that the game would take place at Celtic Park on 25 July and begin at 15:00 BST, adding that it would be the clubs’ first meeting since their Europa League clashes in 2020.
The available material also indicates that Celtic’s own pre-season began with a draw against Shelbourne, meaning the Milan match arrives as a more demanding home test in the middle of their summer preparations.
What could this mean for supporters?
For Celtic supporters, the immediate effect is the chance to see the team face elite opposition in Glasgow before the league season begins.
A sellable pre-season fixture of this type can also help set the tone for the campaign by providing a higher-intensity match than a routine warm-up.
For fans looking for access, the most important practical point is that the only streaming route clearly identified in the available reporting is CelticPlayer, while a firm traditional TV channel is not confirmed in the sources reviewed.
For both sets of supporters, the match is likely to be treated as a meaningful benchmark rather than a casual summer run-out, because it comes against a club of Milan’s stature and sits close to the start of the competitive season.
