Claim: Celtic F.C. is a professional soccer team.

The Celtic Football Club -LRB- -LSB- ˈsɛltɪk -RSB- -RRB- is a professional football club based in Glasgow , Scotland , which plays in the Scottish Premiership . The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigrant Irish population in the East End of Glasgow . They played their first match in May 1888 , a friendly match against Rangers which Celtic won 5 -- 2 . Celtic established itself within Scottish football , winning six successive league titles during the first decade of the 20th century . The club enjoyed their greatest successes during the 1960s and 70s under Jock Stein when they won nine consecutive league titles and the European Cup .   Celtic have won the Scottish league championship on 48 occasions , most recently in the 2016 -- 17 season , the Scottish Cup 37 times and the Scottish League Cup 16 times . The club 's greatest season was 1966 -- 67 , when Celtic became the first British team to win the European Cup , also winning the Scottish league championship , the Scottish Cup , the League Cup , and the Glasgow Cup . Celtic also reached the 1970 European Cup Final , and the 2003 UEFA Cup Final .   Celtic have a long-standing fierce rivalry with Rangers , and the clubs have become known as the Old Firm . The two clubs have dominated Scottish football , winning 102 league titles between them since the inception of Scottish league football in 1890 .   The club 's fanbase was estimated in 2003 as being around nine million worldwide , and there are in excess of 160 Celtic supporters clubs in over 20 countries . An estimated 80,000 fans travelled to Seville for the 2003 UEFA Cup Final .