The Scottish Cup is back in the Celtic trophy cabinet, and the domestic double is secured. Whether Martin O'Neill is the man to push on from here is a question that will dominate the coming weeks — but on a sun-drenched afternoon at Hampden Park, that debate could wait. There were songs to be sung and silverware to be paraded.

Celtic's 2025-26 season — described by those close to it as genuinely exhausting — ended with a trophy held aloft by captain Callum McGregor. The Scottish Cup, which Aberdeen had snatched from Celtic twelve months earlier, had been reclaimed. O'Neill, 74, was serenaded by the Celtic end as though it were the Jungle in its pomp. Dragging a club to trophy success on back-to-back weekends at his age is no small thing. Whether it earns him a contract extension over a younger candidate such as Robbie Keane is now the story that consumes Scottish football.

On the pitch, this final became a non-event relatively quickly, and Dunfermline will have suspected as much. Neil Lennon brought his Championship side to the national stadium with heart, but Celtic are champions of the country, and that gap in class made itself felt almost immediately.

There was a scare in the ninth minute — a defensive mix-up allowed Callumn Morrison to poke a shot goalwards, only for Liam Scales to hack it clear from the line — but Celtic soon settled into a rhythm Dunfermline had no answer to.

The opener arrived from a defensive error rather than any particular brilliance. Alistair Johnston played a pass from deep, John Tod miscued his attempted clearance entirely, and Daizen Maeda reacted quickest, lobbing the exposed Aston Oxborough with composure. The stadium barely had time to settle back down before it was two. Arne Engels received the ball fully 25 yards from goal with not a single yellow shirt closing him down. The midfielder accepted the invitation, struck low and hard, and Oxborough had barely moved before it was in his net.

Lennon made bold half-time changes, introducing Chris Kane and Zak Rudden to give Dunfermline some physical presence up front. Alfons Amade went close with a long-range effort that flew narrowly wide of Viljami Sinisalo's right-hand post. For a moment, the prospect of a nervy second half flickered.

Kelechi Iheanacho extinguished it. The Nigerian forward had already seen a goal ruled out for an offside by Yang Hyun-jun in the buildup, but when he next had the ball the officials could do nothing to deny him. He bobbed and weaved his way through the Dunfermline defence, beat Oxborough from close range, and the game was over as a contest.

Dunfermline did at least earn a moment for their supporters. Alistair Johnston blocked a shot into the path of substitute Josh Cooper, who tapped home with his first touch after coming off the bench. The Pars hadn't lacked spirit; they simply faced a team operating on a different level.

O'Neill question looms over the celebrations

The buildup to the final had been clouded by controversy — supporters had forced an early end to Celtic's Premiership-clinching win over Hearts the previous weekend, and there had been a fractious exchange of words between clubs in the aftermath. Those tensions resurfaced inside Hampden, though O'Neill and his staff will have been focused solely on the job at hand.

The job, it turned out, was comfortably done. Celtic remain Scottish football's dominant force. What happens next in the dugout is the question everyone now wants answered.

  • Goals: Maeda, Engels (Celtic); Cooper (Dunfermline)
  • Iheanacho scored the decisive third to put the result beyond doubt
  • Martin O'Neill's future as manager remains unresolved

Frequently asked

Did Celtic win the Scottish Cup 2026?
Yes. Celtic beat Dunfermline Athletic at Hampden Park to lift the Scottish Cup and complete a domestic double, having also won the Scottish Premiership title the week before.
Who scored for Celtic in the Scottish Cup final?
Daizen Maeda opened the scoring after a defensive error, Arne Engels added a second from long range, and Kelechi Iheanacho grabbed the third. Josh Cooper scored a late consolation for Dunfermline.
Is Martin O'Neill staying as Celtic manager?
That remains unclear. O'Neill guided Celtic to back-to-back trophies and has support within the club, but the hierarchy may weigh up whether to appoint a younger manager such as Robbie Keane instead.