Football video games have long been more than just entertainment, they are a real cultural phenomenon. They unite millions of fans around the world, allowing players to manage their favourite teams, create their own clubs, build careers from scratch or re-enact great historical matches. From simple 80s arcades to ultra-realistic simulations with incredible graphics and physics, football games are constantly evolving, and with them, the virtual face of the world’s most famous clubs. Nowadays, sports can be found in video games, from simulators to casino online games.
Among the many teams that have appeared in video games, Scottish Celtic holds a special place. It is not just a club with a rich history and high-profile victories. It is a symbol of tradition, high-profile derbies, a loyal fan base, and charisma. In the gaming community, Celtic is known not only for its green and white striped uniform, but also for its emotional style of play, atmospheric stadium, and participation in iconic football matches.
Celtic’s first appearances in video games
In the 1980s and 1990s, football video games were just beginning to emerge, and although the graphics were primitive and the mechanics were arcade-like, it was then that many clubs received their first virtual representation. Among them was the Scottish Celtic, which has been attracting the attention of football fans since then thanks to its recognisable uniform and status as one of the leading clubs in the British Isles.
One of the first conditional appearances of Celtic was in Kick Off 2 (1990), which, although not officially licensed, allowed the creation or editing of teams, often using names that alluded to real clubs. In such games, Celtic could appear under altered names, such as Glasgow Green or simply C. FC, but attentive players would immediately recognise the team’s legendary style. Another important game was Sensible Soccer (1992), which became a cult title due to its fast-paced action and wide selection of teams. Here, Celtic also did not have an official licence, but was available under a real or almost real name. Sensible Soccer paid special attention to player line-ups – although the names changed, fans could recognise the stars by a combination of statistics and positions on the field.
FIFA International Soccer (1993) was an important milestone, where the format of playing for national teams was introduced for the first time, but in FIFA 95 and FIFA 96, clubs began to appear, including Celtic. Due to licence restrictions, many teams had fictitious names, altered emblems and unrealistic line-ups, but the green and white uniforms and geographical location made the club easily recognisable.
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Despite the lack of licences, Celtic was consistently included in the list of teams that developers included in their games due to the club’s popularity in the UK and Europe. In many games, the club represented Scotland as one of the two main giants along with Rangers. For players looking for something outside the ‘top 5’ European leagues, Celtic was an attractive alternative – a club with history, derby, charisma and loyal fans. This period laid the groundwork for Celtic’s subsequent recognition in the video game world. And although the first images were far from realistic, they allowed the club to enter the hearts of players who were looking forward to new, more realistic simulations in the 2000s.
The licence era: the rise of realism (2000s)
In the 2000s, football simulations made a significant leap forward – not only in terms of graphics and gameplay mechanics, but also in terms of authenticity. The main series – FIFA from EA Sports and Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) from Konami – entered a real ‘licence war’, fighting for the right to represent clubs as accurately as possible. It was during this period that Scottish Celtic first appeared in a full-fledged, officially licensed form.
In the 2000s, the FIFA series actively expanded its list of licensed leagues and clubs. Starting with FIFA 2001 and FIFA 2002, Scottish clubs, including Celtic, were introduced to the game with partial or full licences. FIFA 2003 was particularly significant, where the team was presented with real players, official uniforms and club colours. And with FIFA 2004 and later versions, players also got a real club logo, authentic banners in the stands and even official songs in the game menu. Thanks to the licence, fans could enjoy playing as real footballers:
- Henrik Larsson,
- Stylian Petrov,
- Didi Agathe,
- Chris Sutton – and many other legends of that era.
The PES series, although inferior to FIFA in terms of the number of official licences, gained popularity due to its realistic gameplay. Until the mid-2000s, Celtic often appeared in PES under fictitious names (for example, Celtico, Glasgow Green or simply CFC), but true fans immediately recognised the club by the colours of its uniforms and the players.
In some parts of PES (in particular, on the PlayStation 2), it was possible to manually change the uniform, emblem, and names, allowing players to create an almost perfect Celtic team even without official support. Later, in the 2008-2009 versions of PES, Konami began to gradually acquire licences for individual clubs – and Celtic became one of them in special versions for the British market.
Starting in the mid-2000s, players finally had the opportunity to play on the virtual Celtic Park, the club’s home ground, which was impressive with its atmosphere and chorus of fan songs.
- The branded green and white striped uniform,
- Unique banners with the words ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’,
- Realistic faces of the players,
- And even the weather conditions in Glasgow – all this created a new level of immersion in the game.
The Old Firm matches – the confrontation between Celtic and their main rival Rangers – were of particular importance. In FIFA and PES, these matches were not just played like regular derbies.
- In FIFA, players could see a special pre-match presentation, an increased viewership, and increased tension on the field.
- The stadium atmosphere and commentary emphasised the historical significance of the match.
- In the career mode, players received separate goals for the season – to win the derby, which once again confirmed the importance of this confrontation in the virtual world.
‘In the 2000s, Celtic became the choice of many players who were looking for something beyond the classic giants such as Real Madrid, Barca or Manchester United.
- For Scottish and Irish gamers, it was an emotional choice,
- For others, it was an opportunity to start a career with a club with a deep history and charisma,
- In online modes and tournaments, Celtic was often used as an unconventional but strong club, especially on the medium difficulty level.
Celtic in modern football simulators
In the 2010s and 2020s, football simulations reached a new level of realism. Thanks to the development of graphics, animation, tactical depth and full licensing, Celtic as a club has been given an even more realistic and worthy representation in flagship series such as FIFA (including FC 24) and eFootball (formerly Pro Evolution Soccer).
Prior to FIFA’s transformation into FC 24, the EA Sports series regularly featured the Scottish Premiership, including Celtic as one of the country’s two most famous clubs. Thanks to a full licence, it was there for players to enjoy:
- Official season uniforms, including home, away and alternative kits,
- Real team roster with up-to-date player statistics,
- Original logo, banners, and even fan songs.
In FC 24 (the new name of the series after EA’s split from FIFA), the club retains its full representation:
- All players have detailed faces, often from real scans,
- The team has an authentic style of play that is close to the real one: high pressure, combination play, active use of the flanks,
- In Career or Ultimate Team modes, Celtic has become an interesting option for gamers who appreciate a historic club with development potential.
After the transformation of PES into eFootball, Konami began to limit the number of clubs licensed. In different years, Celtic was either included in the official list of partner clubs or appeared under an alternative name. But:
- Players could create or download fan patches that fully recreate the club,
- The design of the players, although less detailed, was also available through community mods,
- During the partnership seasons, Konami actively promoted the Old Firm derby, focusing on the emotions and passions of Scottish football.
IN FIFA/FC 24.
- The team rating usually ranged from 73-76,
- Kiyogo Furuhashi, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Callum McGregor had the highest ratings among the players – 75-78,
- The team had a balanced characteristic: good speed, average technique, strong physicality in defence.
In eFootball
- Celtic players are also available in Dream Team or Master League modes,
- There are special player cards, for example, legendary versions of Henrik Larsson or modern stars with improved stats.
One of the most striking features of the modern image of the club in simulations is the virtual arena – Celtic Park:
- In FIFA, the stadium is recreated to the smallest detail: from the architecture of the stands and banners to the echo of fan chants,
- The atmosphere of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, massive green flags, pyrotechnics – all this creates the effect of a real presence at the match,
- In matches against Rangers, the atmosphere is particularly tense – the spectators react louder to every action, and a separate derby soundtrack is played.
Celtic players who have become legends in video games
In the world of football video games, not only clubs but also individual players achieve cult status. Over the years, Celtic have had players who have become real stars on the digital pitch – either because of their high ratings or their particular style of play, which made them indispensable in virtual matches.
Swedish striker Henrik Larsson was a true ‘meta-player’ in many versions of FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer in the early 2000s:
- High speed, finishing attacks, heading,
- Often had special animations of strikes or celebrations,
- In many versions of FIFA, including the Ultimate Team mode, he later received the ‘Icons’ card, which further increased his popularity among gamers.
Before becoming one of the best defenders in the world at Liverpool, van Dijk had already attracted the attention of FIFA players when he played for Celtic:
- He had solid physical attributes, height and strength,
- In his career, he often developed to an elite level, which made him a profitable investment,
- He was a favourite of managers in career mode, especially in mid-level team rebuilds.
The FIFA series (especially with career mode) made popular a number of young Celtic players who had:
- High development potential,
- Balanced statistics in technique and speed,
- Well suited to building young dynamic squads.
Kieran Tierney, for example, often became a key left-back in long careers, while McGregor and Forrest were stable midfield options with a Scottish flavour.
In FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode, even players from outside the top clubs can become popular through:
- A unique combination of characteristics (e.g. high aggression + speed),
- Connections for hybrid squads (e.g. Scottish passport or league).
Fans have often used Celtic player cards in special squads, themed SBC (Squad Building Challenges) or even for nostalgic ‘legendary’ squads.
The future: virtual reality, metaverse and new horizons
The video game industry is changing rapidly, and football clubs – including iconic ones like Celtic – are gaining new opportunities to integrate into the digital space. Thanks to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), as well as the development of metaverse, the future of fan engagement with the club is more exciting than ever. Thanks to VR technology, Celtic fans will be able to:
- Find themselves on the pitch at Celtic Park on match day, looking around from the perspective of a player or fan;
- Take part in a virtual training session with the team, practising penalties with the legends;
- Feel the full presence in the stands, with realistic fan buzz, chants and match emotions in 360°.
VR can make the fan experience more personalised – for example, simulating the career of a young player who starts in the Celtic academy and rises to the first team.
The metaverse opens up even wider prospects:
- Virtual club spaces where fans can gather, watch matches together, communicate, and buy digital merchandise (NFT shirts, exclusive boots, etc.);
- Creating your own digital avatar in a Celtic shirt, participating in tournaments in the virtual space;
- Events with the club’s players in the metaverse, where they can meet fans, participate in mini-games or Q&A sessions.
Such platforms are already partially implemented on the basis of Web3, and clubs that adapt quickly are gaining a new wave of digital fans from around the world.
AR makes it possible to integrate football experience into everyday life:
- The ability to see 3D animations of Celtic players taking to the pitch in a real environment (e.g. on a table or room floor) via a smartphone;
- Interactive club magazines or tickets that come to life through apps;
- AR-analytics showing tactical schemes, player biometrics, and infographics right on the screen while watching a match live or on TV.
‘Celtic has the potential to become not just a football club, but a digital brand in the virtual space:
- Collaboration with game studios to create official VR/meta games;
- Own esports teams under the Celtic brand;
- Launch of digital NFT cards of the club’s legends or even integration with blockchain gaming.
So, Celtic’s evolution in video games is not only a technological journey from pixelated players to photorealistic simulations, but also a reflection of the club’s deeper transformation in the digital age. From the first appearances in classic arcade titles without official licences to a full-fledged presence in top football simulations with real players, kits and the iconic Celtic Park stadium, the club’s brand has been constantly evolving and adapting.
Today, Celtic’s digital image is an important part of its global recognition. For new generations of fans, video games are often the first step towards getting to know the club. Thanks to modern technologies such as VR, AR and the metaverse, this connection is only strengthened, turning fan passion into an immersive, interactive experience. However, despite its dynamic development, Celtic remains true to its traditions. Its anthems, emblem, derby with Rangers and legendary players live not only on the pitch but also in the virtual space as part of the cultural heritage that is transmitted through the language of games.
Video games have become a bridge between the club’s history and future, between the past generation of fans and the new digital generation. And in this ever-changing world, Celtic continues to be a symbol of resilience, passion and identity – both on the pitch and in its virtual representation.
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