Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup Final
Aberdeen v Celtic
Saturday, 24 May 2025, kick off 3:00pm
Hampden Park, Glasgow

Scottish football's showpiece match in the men's game takes place on Saturday afternoon as holders Celtic take on seven-time winners Aberdeen in the Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup Final. 

Celtic won last season's final against Rangers, with Adam Idah's late strike sealing a 1-0 victory. 

Aberdeen, meanwhile, are back in the final for the first time since 2017, when they narrowly lost 2-1 to Celtic through a late Tom Rogic strike.

Previous Meetings 

The last time the two sides met in this competition it produced a modern-day classic, with Celtic eventually triumphing in a 2024 Semi-Final which went all the way to penalties after an incredible 3-3 draw.

Celtic were also victorious in the previous cup meeting, a closed-doors affair in 2020, with Ryan Christie's wonderstrike putting the Hoops in front before Mohamed Elyounoussi made it 2-0 by firing in at the back post. 

The two sides also met in a 2019 Scottish Cup Semi-Final, though it is the 2017 meeting between the two sides that will live longest in the memory.

In a hugely competitive final, Jonny Hayes volleyed in at the back post to give the Dons an early lead but Stuart Armstrong steered Celtic level two minutes later from just outside the box. 

Both sides created chances in an end-to-end encounter that was eventually settled in the closing stages which Tom Rogic's jinking run ended with the Australian firing under Joe Lewis to secure the win - and with it, Celtic's invincible treble.

Prior to that match, Aberdeen had knocked Celtic out of the competition in 2014, with goals from Russell Anderson and Peter Pawlett securing a famous 2-1 win at Celtic Park.

There have been five meetings between the sides this season with the first finishing in a competitive 2-2 draw at Celtic Park. The Hoops have won the four games since, however, including a 6-0 victory in the League Cup Semi-Final at Hampden Park.

Cup Form 

Holders Celtic have won the Scottish Cup on 42 occasions and they also boast a formidable record in this competition under Brendan Rodgers, who has won every Scottish Cup match he's presided over during his two spells at the club. 

They were tested in the Fourth Round by Kilmarnock this season, however, with Daizen Maeda's coolly taken finish following Nicolas Kuhn's eventually giving them a 2-1 victory.

Maeda then grabbed a hat-trick in the Fifth Round as Rodgers' side ran out comfortable 5-0 winners against Raith Rovers. 

Hibs were boasting a 15-game unbeaten run in all competitions when they arrived at Celtic Park in the Quarter-Final in what looked a tough test. Kieron Bowie tested Kasper Schmeichel early on to give Celtic a warning, before that man Maeda opened the scoring - reacting first after goalkeeper Jordan Smith had saved Kuhn's initial shot. 

Hibs stayed in the game without really threatening and Celtic's dominance eventually told in the last minute as last year's cup final hero Idah met Luke McCowan's cutback to confirm Celtic's place in the last four. 

St Johnstone were the opponents in the Semi-Final and Simo Valakari's side were well in the game at 0-0 after half an hour before Celtic blew them away in a blistering 15 minute spell. Callum McGregor opened the scoring before a Maeda double and an Idah strike made it 4-0 at half-time. Makenzie Kirk had a spectacular consolation goal disallowed by VAR in the second half before Jota made it 5-0, sending the holders back into the final.

Aberdeen have won this competition seven times, with the first win coming in 1947 and the most recent in 1990. They remarkably lifted the trophy four times between 1982 and 1986, while they have also lost in the final on nine occasions. 

Their win over Elgin City in Round Four proved to be a bit of a turning point in their season, with Aberdeen running out 3-0 winners - through goals from Shayden Morris and a double from Duk - to end a run of 12 games without a victory.

The Dons were then too good for a spirited Dunfermline Athletic in the next round. After a tight first half, Pape Gueye opened the scoring just before half-time and Alexander Jensen's low finish made it 2-0. Kevin Nisbet then kickstarted his 2024/2025 season with a much-needed close range finish as the match finished 3-0.

Championship side Queen's Park had produced a famous win over Rangers at Ibrox in the Fifth Round but there would be no chance of an upset in the Quarter-Finals as the Dons put them to the sword. Goals from Nisbet, Oday Dabbagh and captain Graeme Shinnie had Aberdeen 3-0 up at the break and Dabbagh's tap-in made it 4-0 after half-time. Zak Rudden slotted home to pull a goal back but it was prove just a consolation as Aberdeen sealed a return to Hampden. 

Hearts were up next and the Dons took an early lead when Pape Gueye's header cannoned in off Craig Gordon but Lawrence Shankland steered home a leveller at the back post. Michael Steinwender's red card looked to put the Dons in the box seat but Jimmy Thelin's side struggled to break down a resolute Hearts side, until the final moments of extra-time when Omar Dabbagh fired home from close range to spark delirious celebrations in the Aberdeen end.

How to Watch

The match will be live on both BBC Scotland and Premier Sports.   

In addition, the Scottish FA have also teamed up with Premier Sports and augmented broadcast experts Genius Sports to provide viewers with a new viewing experience for the Scottish Cup Final. Tactical View is the Scottish FA’s stats-driven, on-screen live viewing mode powered by GeniusIQ, designed to provide football fans with the ultimate tactical insights as play develops.

Viewers will benefit from a real-time player map at the bottom of the screen, pinpointing the location and movement of each player and the ball. The name of the player in possession of the ball (player IDs) will be shown on-screen, as well as the speed of shots on goal.

The innovative service will be available as an option for customers using the Premier Sports streaming service. Viewers will be able to switch between the standard view and the augmented stream during the match coverage.

An example of the augmented Tactical View can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/_95evv32AoY

Match Programmes 

Programmes are available now through Ignition Sport Media.

To purchase your copy online, click here.

With insights from both managers, road to the final recollections and in-depth features from former greats, this A4-size 84-page commemorative edition is a must-have keepsake as history plays out at Hampden on Saturday 24th May.

This piece of cherished memorabilia is available for £6 around the ground on matchday or for home delivery.

Match Information