Kairat Almaty will make history this season as they become the easternmost club ever to play in the UEFA Champions League, marking their first appearance in Europe’s premier club competition.

The Kazakh side booked their place through the Playoffs, eliminating historic clubs such as Slovan Bratislava and Celtic along the way. Now, they are set for a dream clash against Real Madrid, in what will be a landmark occasion for both the team and the country.

Serán el club más oriental en alcanzar la Fase Final, teniendo como singularidad que su sede está a 300 kilómetros de la frontera con China. Están tan alejados del resto de Europa que están a 13 horas en vuelo comercial de Madrid.

Kairat will be the furthest eastern team ever to reach the Champions League group stage. Their home city of Almaty lies just 300 kilometers from the Chinese border, and the distance to Madrid is staggering: a 13-hour commercial flight separates both cities.

This is only the second Kazakh club to ever qualify for the tournament, matching the feat of FC Astana in the 2015-16 season. Kairat enter the competition as champions of the 33rd-ranked league out of UEFA’s 55 members.

A Journey Around the World

Because of their remote location, Kairat Almaty will travel a remarkable 44,982 kilometers—more than the circumference of the Earth—to play their away matches in the group stage. Their continental road trip will take them to London, Lisbon, Copenhagen, and Milan.

Why Do They Play in Europe?

After the dissolution of the USSR in 1992, Kazakhstan became an independent nation. Initially, their football federation joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). However, since 10–15% of Kazakh territory lies in Europe, this was the main argument behind their admission to UEFA in 2002.