Rangers v West Ham takes place at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side continue preparing for their Championship campaign.
The Hammers arrive in Glasgow following a convincing 5-0 victory over Stevenage, while Rangers are playing their final friendly before the Scottish Premiership season.
The match will provide West Ham with their most demanding pre-season assessment so far.
Nuno used two almost entirely different teams against Stevenage, allowing senior players and academy prospects to build their fitness. James Ward-Prowse, Taty Castellanos, Lewis Orford, Josh Ajala and Jett Murphy scored in the comfortable victory.
ReadWestHam’s report from the five-goal Stevenage win highlighted the contribution made by the club’s younger players.
Rangers are further into their preparations because their league campaign begins against Dundee United on Friday, 31 July. Derek McInnes’ side beat Saint-Étienne 2-1 in their previous friendly and should play with greater intensity than West Ham’s earlier opponents.
When is Rangers v West Ham?
Rangers v West Ham takes place on Sunday, 26 July 2026.
Kick-off is scheduled for 4pm BST at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow. Both clubs have officially confirmed the date, venue and kick-off time.
How to watch Rangers v West Ham
The match has not been selected for traditional television coverage in the United Kingdom.
Supporters can watch the game live through West Ham TV. A match pass costs £5, while 2026/27 season-ticket holders can stream the friendly without an additional charge.
RangersTV will also show the game worldwide for £8.99.
There is no confirmed national radio commentary.
Rangers v West Ham team news
West Ham have not announced any new injury concerns before the trip to Scotland.
Nuno is expected to continue managing his players’ minutes rather than leaving one team on the pitch for the full match. Jarrod Bowen, Ward-Prowse and Castellanos could retain their starting places after combining effectively against Stevenage.
Bowen created the opportunity for Castellanos’ goal, while Ward-Prowse opened the scoring after following up his own saved effort.
Mohamadou Kanté and George Earthy are pushing for further involvement. Orford, Ajala and Murphy could also receive more minutes after scoring from the bench in midweek.
Ollie Scarles will hope to feature as he competes for a place on the left. ReadWestHam has examined how the Championship schedule could accelerate the development of Scarles and other academy graduates.
Nuno could leave several players with uncertain futures out of his plans. Niclas Füllkrug is reportedly training separately, while Edson Álvarez and Jean-Clair Todibo are also expected to leave.
Players West Ham must watch
Lawrence Shankland should offer the clearest examination of West Ham’s centre-backs.
The Scotland striker is an experienced penalty-box forward who can punish loose marking and poor clearances. Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos must handle his movement and physical presence.
Thelo Aasgaard also poses a threat between midfield and attack. He converted the winning penalty against Saint-Étienne and can exploit any space left behind West Ham’s central midfielders.
Rangers could also involve summer arrivals Ivor Pandur, Ben Godfrey and Dan Neil. McInnes will want his expected starters to receive substantial minutes before the competitive season begins.
What Nuno will want to see at Ibrox
West Ham played with confidence and purpose at Stevenage, but Rangers should apply more pressure to their attempts to build from defence.
Nuno will want the Hammers to remain compact when they do not control possession. Rangers’ intensity should also test whether the midfield can protect the defence following Mateus Fernandes’ departure.
The attacking performance deserves attention as well. Castellanos has an opportunity to strengthen his position as Nuno’s leading striker, while Bowen remains the most reliable source of creativity.
ReadWestHam has already outlined the encouraging early signs within Nuno’s rebuild. A competitive performance at Ibrox would provide stronger evidence of progress.
Predicted West Ham XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Mads Hermansen; Kyle Walker-Peters, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Max Kilman, El Hadji Malick Diouf; Mohamadou Kanté, James Ward-Prowse; Jarrod Bowen, George Earthy, Luis Guilherme; Taty Castellanos.
Nuno is likely to make extensive changes during the second half, allowing academy prospects and fringe players to receive further opportunities.
Score prediction
Rangers 1-2 West Ham
Rangers should provide a considerably tougher challenge than Stevenage. However, West Ham’s greater attacking depth could help them secure a narrow victory during the second half.
