No side in this season’s Champions League faces a tougher travel schedule or steeper odds than Kairat Almaty. The Kazakh debutants are preparing for their first ever home match in the competition on Tuesday, hosting 15-time winners Real Madrid in what promises to be a landmark occasion.
Kairat’s group stage journey began with a daunting trip to Lisbon, where they crossed three time zones and travelled a record 6,900 kilometres before falling 4-1 to Sporting two weeks ago. Now, Madrid make the return journey to central Asia, covering 6,441 kilometres to reach the 24,000-seat Ortalyq Stadion.
“Flying to Kazakhstan is not easy,” defender Damir Kassabulat told BBC Sport. “Home games in Almaty will be a big advantage, and with our fans, it will feel like a fortress.”
Almaty, Kazakhstan’s former southern capital, lies closer to Beijing than Madrid. For Real, the journey means a 13-hour flight — around five hours longer than the trip from Spain to New York.
Kazakhstan has been part of European football since joining UEFA in 2002, but Kairat are the first Kazakh side in a decade to reach the Champions League group stage. “It’s historic and important financially, but more than that, the entire country is behind us,” said club president Kairat Boranbayev. With a smile, he added: “We congratulate Europe for expanding its borders to allow Kairat to play. We believe we can make some noise.”
The gulf in resources is stark. Kairat’s squad is valued at just £10.9 million, while Madrid boast stars such as Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Jr and Jude Bellingham in a squad worth £1.2 billion, according to Transfermarkt.
No team faces greater logistical hurdles: Kairat will cover roughly 25,000 kilometres across four away matches, the highest total in this season’s new 36-team league phase.
“For us, the travel is part of the reward,” said manager Rafael Urazbakhtin. “This is the toughest test for our football, but also a dream come true and a historic moment for Kazakh football.”
