The AFC Elite
The AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) is the premier club football tournament in Asia, organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to crown the continent’s top club.
The tournament originally featured 24 teams (12 in the West Region and 12 in the East Region). Starting with the 2026–27 season, the AFC expanded the League Stage to 32 clubs.
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Tournament Start Dates (2026–27 Season)
Preliminary Qualifying Stage: Began on August 11, 2026.
League Stage (Competition Proper): Kicks off on September 14, 2026 (West Region) and September 15, 2026 (East Region).
The 32 Qualified Teams (2026–27 Season)
West Region (16 Teams)
| Country | Club |
| Saudi Arabia | Al-Ahli,Al-Nassr,Al-Hilal,Al-Qadsiah,Al-Ittihad (via preliminary) |
| United Arab Emirates | Al-Ain,Shabab Al-Ahli,Al Wasl |
| Qatar | Al Sadd,Al-Gharafa,Al-Shamal |
| Iran | Esteghlal,Tractor |
| Uzbekistan | Neftchi Fergana, Pakhtakor (via preliminary) |
| Iraq | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
East Region (16 Teams)
| Country | Club |
| Japan | Kashima Antlers,Vissel Kobe,Kashiwa Reysol,Kyoto Sanga,Gamba Osaka (via preliminary) |
| South Korea | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors,Daejeon Hana Citizen, Pohang Steelers |
| Thailand | Buriram United, Port FC,Ratchaburi |
| China | Shanghai Port,Beijing Guoan |
| Australia | Newcastle Jets |
| Malaysia | Johor Darul Ta’zim |
| Vietnam | Cong An Ha Noi ( via preliminary ) |
Tournament Format Summary
League Stage: The 32 teams are split equally between the West (16 teams) and East (16 teams) regions. Each club plays 8 distinct opponents (4 at home, 4 away) within their region.
Knockout Stage: The top 8 teams from each region advance to the Round of 16, which is played over two legs.
Centralised Finals: From the Quarter-finals onwards, the remaining 8 teams play a single-leg knockout tournament at a centralised host venue to decide the champion. Cross-region matchups are unlocked via an open draw.
Key Tournament Rewards
FIFA Club World Cup & Intercontinental Cup: The champion qualifies for the prestigious FIFA Intercontinental Cup and secures a spot in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
Automatic Qualification: Winning the tournament guarantees a direct spot in the next edition’s League Stage if the club has not already qualified through its domestic league.
The AFC also has two more tiers of the Champions League apart from the Elite group.
AFC Champions League Two: The second tier featuring 32 clubs, and the AFC Challenge League: The third tier for developing football nations.
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