Celtic defeated Heart of Midlothian 3-1 at Celtic Park on the final day of the 2025-2026 season to secure their 56th Scottish Premiership title. The result ended Hearts’ bid for their first league championship since 1960 and established an all-time record for Celtic, moving them past Glasgow rivals Rangers for total league victories.
Hearts took a 43rd-minute lead through a Lawrence Shankland header, putting them in position to break the 41-year Old Firm dominance over the Scottish top flight. Celtic equalized in first-half stoppage time with a penalty converted by Arne Engels, setting up a chaotic second half that ultimately ended in a decisive 3-1 victory for Celtic.
The tension broke in the 87th minute when Daizen Maeda found the net. The goal was initially flagged for offside but was awarded after a lengthy VAR review, giving Celtic a late 2-1 lead. The controversial decision mirrored a tight penalty call against Motherwell days earlier that kept Celtic’s title hopes alive heading into the final weekend of the season.
Hearts pushed for an equalizer in the closing moments, sending goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow into the opposing box for a late set-piece. Celtic cleared the danger, allowing 20-year-old substitute Callum Osmand to run the length of the pitch and score into an empty net deep into eight minutes of added time. The final whistle triggered a huge pitch invasion by the 60,000 fans inside the stadium.
Interim manager Martin O’Neill, 74, claimed his fourth league title with the club, 22 years after his previous championship win. O’Neill stepped in mid-season following the successive exits of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy to guide the team through a turbulent campaign. The defeat leaves Hearts fans returning to Edinburgh empty-handed after needing only a draw to secure their first top-flight championship since 1960.