Kairat are one of Kazakhstan’s established clubs, founded in 1954 and based at Almaty Central Stadium. Their profile is not built on noise, but on longevity, a sizeable domestic presence and enough European exposure to make them familiar beyond their own league.
Their 2025-26 campaign ended with Kairat in second place in the Premier League, after a run-in that was competitive rather than convincing: draws with Atyrau, Kaisar and Ulytau sat alongside a defeat at Ordabasy and wins over Zhenis and Kaisar. They also competed in the Champions League qualifying play-offs and the Champions League league phase.
The squad is valued at around £10m by Transfermarkt, with 35 players and an average age of 25. Dastan Satpaev led their scoring with four goals, while Ofri Arad, Olzhas Baybek, Edmilson de Paula Santos Filho and Valery Gromyko each contributed one.
For Celtic supporters, Kairat sit in that awkward middle ground: not a European heavyweight, but not a decorative name either. They finished high domestically, have recent Champions League experience, and would merit proper attention rather than assumption.
