Kairat Secures Record Earnings Following Valiant Champions League Campaign

Almaty’s FC Kairat concluded its historic 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League journey with a dramatic encounter against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in London. Facing one of the world’s elite clubs, the Kazakh side displayed incredible grit, narrowly losing 3-2. According to Sports.kz, Kairat was on the verge of a major sensation in the final minutes when a late goal by Ricardinho left the "Gunners" scrambling to protect their lead, bringing the Almaty side just one step away from a historic draw.

Throughout the league phase, Kairat faced a grueling schedule of eight matches, securing one point from a goalless draw against Cyprus’s Pafos FC. Despite their spirited performances, they fell short in their other seven fixtures, facing European giants such as Real Madrid (0-5), Inter Milan (1-2), Sporting CP (1-4), FC Copenhagen (2-3), Olympiacos (0-1), and Club Brugge (1-4). However, the competitive nature of their final 3-2 loss to Arsenal served as a testament to the club's growth on the international stage.

Financially, the tournament proved to be a record-breaking success for the club. For qualifying for the main league phase, Kairat earned a guaranteed €18.62 million (11.23 billion tenge). The draw against Pafos added an additional €700,000 (422.1 million tenge), bringing their total performance-based earnings to €19.32 million (11.65 billion tenge). This total is set to increase even further once final distributions from television and marketing rights are processed at the end of the European season.

With their European journey now at an end, FC Kairat bows out with pride and a significant financial boost. The club will now shift its focus toward domestic preparations for the new season, which is scheduled to kick off in March.