Celtic F.C. vs Rangers F.C.: Head-to-Head Stats & Rivalry

Few rivalries in world football carry the weight of the Old Firm Derby — Celtic versus Rangers, two clubs that have defined Scottish football for over a century. Whether you’re checking head-to-head records, curious about their financial gap, or trying to understand what makes this fixture so charged, you’re in the right place. As of March 8, 2026, the two Glasgow giants have met 451 times across all major competitions, with Rangers holding a razor-thin edge: 172 wins to Celtic’s 171, and 108 draws between them.

Head-to-Head Matches: 451 Old Firm derbies · Celtic Revenue Edge: £250 million more than Rangers past decade · Next Match: 10 May 2026, Scottish Premiership · Fan Dominance: Combined support base dominates Scottish football attendance

The table below consolidates key facts sourced from multiple tracking platforms.

Who is better Celtic or Rangers?

The short answer depends on which lens you use. Across all major competitions as of March 8, 2026, Rangers hold the slimmest of leads: 172 wins to Celtic’s 171 across 451 Old Firm derbies, with 108 draws (Wikipedia). But the story shifts dramatically when you zoom into specific eras and competitions.

Recent form

• In their most recent 48 meetings, Celtic won 24 times compared to Rangers’ 13, with 11 draws and Celtic outscoring Rangers 78 goals to 56 (FootyStats)
• Since 2003, Celtic have accumulated 47 wins from 88 games, scoring 141 goals to Rangers’ 28 wins and 104 goals (AiScore)

Title wins

• Rangers dominated the early going, winning four successive titles from 1899-1902 before Celtic responded with their own streak from 1905-1910 (Sporting News)
• Rangers held a vice-grip on the league from 1927-1947, with only Celtic interruptions in 1936 and 1938 breaking their run (Sporting News)
• Celtic’s Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill eras proved transformative, closing the early dominance gap Rangers had built (MyFootballFacts)

European success

• When measured by trophies in recent seasons, Celtic secured the double in 2023/24, narrowing what had been a nearly even trophy count between the clubs (Sporting News)
• Most recently, Celtic won the Scottish Cup final 1-0 on May 25, 2024, adding to their domestic tally (Sporting News)

The implication: overall superiority flips depending on the time window. Rangers own the historical aggregate; Celtic have dominated recent decades and currently hold the upper hand in form and trophies.

Who has more fans, Celtics or Rangers?

Precise fan counts remain a matter of dispute, but the data that does exist points to a roughly equivalent and extraordinarily devoted support base concentrated in Glasgow and across Scotland.

Attendance data

• Celtic and Rangers fans consistently dominate Scottish football attendance figures, with both clubs regularly filling stadiums exceeding 50,000 seats for Old Firm matches (Wikipedia)
• The Old Firm derbies generate some of the highest attendance figures in European club football, underscoring the rivalry’s cultural grip (MyFootballFacts)

Global support

• Both clubs maintain significant overseas fan bases, though verified global membership figures remain elusive across published sources
• The sectarian and cultural dimensions of the rivalry — rooted in Glasgow’s history since 1888 — continue to shape identity for supporters on both sides (MyFootballFacts)

Social media metrics

• Current social media follower counts fluctuate and are subject to regular platform changes, making consistent cross-club comparison difficult

The pattern: exact fan numbers are debated, but what is clear is that Celtic and Rangers collectively command the lion’s share of Scottish football support.

Is Celtic richer than Rangers?

By the numbers, Celtic have accumulated a significant financial edge over the past decade.

Revenue over decade

• Celtic have earned £250 million more than Rangers over the past decade, a gap reflecting both domestic dominance and better European runs (Sporting News)
• This financial supremacy has translated into transfer spending advantages, though both clubs remain among Scotland’s highest spenders (Sporting News)

Transfer spending

• The Old Firm rivalry itself generates mutual financial benefits — the term “Old Firm” itself originated from a satirical cartoon in 1904 highlighting the commercial gains both clubs extracted from their fixture (Wikipedia)
• Rangers’ descent through the divisions in the 2010s temporarily narrowed Celtic’s spending power, though Rangers have rebuilt and compete more fiercely in the transfer market since their return to the top flight (Wikipedia)

Valuation

• Club valuations fluctuate based on performance, revenue streams, and broader market conditions, with consistent published valuations varying across financial analysts

The catch: Celtic’s financial lead is real but not insurmountable. Rangers’ rebuild after their 2012 liquidation and subsequent promotion through the ranks shows the financial gap can narrow with sustained success.

Celtic FC vs Rangers FC head-to-head stats and results

The Old Firm head-to-head record presents one of football’s most debated statistical puzzles — different tracking sources show slightly different totals, but the overall picture remains remarkably tight.

Last 10 games

• Across recent tracking windows, results vary: Celtic won 31 to Rangers’ 17 in some datasets, while others show Celtic with 24 wins against Rangers’ 13 over 48 matches (FotMob, FootyStats)

Results since 2000

• Since 2003, Celtic have won 47 of 88 meetings, scoring 141 goals — a commanding recent edge (AiScore)
• Celtic scored first in 76% of matches versus Rangers’ 69%, indicating a psychological edge in match tempo (FootyStats)

All-time record

• Across 451 tracked derbies (most recent count as of March 8, 2026), Rangers hold 172 wins, Celtic 171, with 108 draws — the narrowest of margins (Wikipedia)
• In league matches specifically since 1891 — 330 fixtures — Rangers lead 126 to Celtic’s 114 with 90 draws, per RSSSF data (OneFootball)
• Historical highest aggregates include Celtic 6-2 Rangers (1895/96) and Rangers 5-1 Celtic (1960/61) (Football.co.uk Stats)

The implication: Rangers own the league-specific record; Celtic dominate recent decades. The overall aggregate hides these competing narratives.

The sectarian and cultural divide: Catholic vs Protestant?

The Old Firm rivalry transcends sport — it is rooted in Glasgow’s complex social, religious, and political history, a dimension that continues to shape the fixture’s emotional intensity.

Club associations

• The rivalry traces back to the clubs’ founding contexts: Celtic was established by Irish Catholic immigrants in 1887, while Rangers historically reflected Protestant Unionist identity (Wikipedia)
• These origins have evolved over more than a century, and modern fan bases contain supporters from diverse backgrounds — the sectarian labels no longer neatly map onto current matchgoing crowds

Key figures like Jock Stein

• Jock Stein, Celtic’s legendary manager from the Lisbon Lions era, became a symbol of Catholic success in Scottish football, though his personal faith was reportedly secondary to his footballing genius (MyFootballFacts)
• The Stein era (1965-1978) fundamentally shifted the psychological dynamic of the rivalry, with Celtic establishing European dominance that transcended domestic sectarian narratives

Glasgow sectarianism

• The “Old Firm” label itself originated around 1904 from a satirical cartoon in The Scottish Referee, mocking the commercial benefits both clubs extracted from their rivalry (Wikipedia)
• In 1909, a Scottish Cup final between the clubs erupted into riots at Hampden Park, leading to the trophy being withheld — one of the earliest violent episodes in the rivalry’s history (Wikipedia)
• Today, Old Firm derbies are played early on Sunday mornings partly to minimize alcohol-related violence, reflecting the fixture’s unique social management challenges (The Football Weekend)

What this means: the sectarian dimension is historically real but increasingly complex. Modern fans span diverse backgrounds, and the sporting rivalry has, for many, transcended the religious and political origins that shaped its early decades.

Celtic FC vs Rangers FC: Head-to-Head Comparison

Twelve key metrics reveal how the Old Firm rivals measure up across competitions, eras, and performance dimensions.

The pattern: Rangers lead in historical league encounters, Celtic dominate recent form and revenue. European success has been comparable, with each club holding one historic triumph.

Confirmed Facts vs Unclear Points

Sorting what’s verified from what’s contested helps frame the Old Firm narrative accurately.

Key voices on the Old Firm

Two clubs. One city. A century of hatred on and off the football pitch.

— YouTube narrator, The Old Firm Derby documentary

The Old Firm Derby between Celtic and Rangers is one of football’s most enduring and emotionally charged rivalries, rooted in Glasgow’s sporting, cultural and historical landscape.

— MyFootballFacts editorial

Patronise The Old Firm: Rangers, Celtic Ltd.

— The Scottish Referee, satirical publication (1904)

The implication: the Old Firm’s emotional gravity stems from its layered history — part sporting competition, part cultural identity, part commercial enterprise. No single framing captures it fully.

For anyone watching Scottish football — whether you’re a die-hard season-ticket holder or a neutral drawn in by the spectacle — the Old Firm Derby remains appointment viewing precisely because it defies simple narratives. Celtic’s recent dominance and financial edge are real, but Rangers’ historical resilience means the next derby on 10 May 2026 could just as easily swing the other way. That unpredictability, more than any statistic, is what keeps the rivalry burning after 138 years.

Related reading: Rangers vs Ross County: Stats, H2H, Results & Live TV Guide · Celtic Score Today Live: Results, Updates & TV Guide

The storied Old Firm encounters find parallel depth in the Rangers F.C. vs Celtic F.C. analysis, blending historical stats with match predictions.

Frequently asked questions