Standings, fixtures, results and everything you need to know about the AFC Champions League Elite, Asian club football’s top continental competition, contested by 32 clubs split across independent West and East regional phases.
What is the AFC Champions League Elite?
The AFC Champions League Elite is the Asian Football Confederation’s premier club competition, bringing together 32 of the continent’s strongest teams. It began life in 1967 as the Asian Champion Club Tournament, was renamed the Asian Club Championship in 1985, and took its current name as part of the AFC’s 2024/25 club competition reform, which also introduced a second-tier AFC Champions League Two beneath it.
Unlike UEFA’s single-table league phase, the AFC Champions League Elite splits its 32 clubs into two independent regions along geographic lines. The West region is made up mostly of clubs from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Iran, Iraq and Uzbekistan; the East region from Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia (represented by Johor Darul Ta’zim) and Australia. Each region runs its own eight-round Swiss-style league phase, with every club facing eight of the other 15 clubs in its region rather than a full round robin, and no cross-region fixtures at this stage.
The top eight clubs in each region’s 16-team table advance to the Round of 16, meaning 16 clubs in total — drawn from both regions for the first time all season — make up the knockout bracket. From there, the Round of 16 is played over two legs, home and away. From the quarter-finals onward the competition switches to single-leg matches at a centralized neutral venue, to be announced closer to that stage.
Al-Ahli Saudi FC are the defending champions, having beaten Machida Zelvia 1-0 in the 2025-26 final for their second consecutive title. Al-Hilal remain the competition’s most successful club overall with four titles. The 2026/27 season is underway: Round 1 of the league phase was completed in mid-September, with Round 2 following on 12 October 2026. Dates for subsequent rounds have not yet been published.
Fixtures and results
Kickoff times auto-convert to your local time (UTC shown if JavaScript is off). Updated Tue 20 Oct, 22:29 UTCUpcoming fixtures
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Al-Ittihad Club
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Tractor Tabriz
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Al Gharafa SC
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Al Sadd SC
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Al Wasl FC
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Pakhtakor
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Newcastle United Jets
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Vissel Kobe
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Port FC
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Cong An Ha Noi FC
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Jeonbuk FC
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Kashiwa Reysol
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Esteghlal FC Tehran
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Al Hilal SFC
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Buriram United
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FC Pohang SteelersRecent results
5 - 1Port FC2 - 0Jeonbuk FC1 - 2Shabab Al Ahli Dubai0 - 2Al Hilal SFC0 - 1Kashima Antlers0 - 1Beijing Guoan1 - 1Daejeon Citizen FC0 - 2Johor Darul Ta'zim1 - 0Ratchaburi FC1 - 3Gamba Osaka1 - 2Esteghlal FC Tehran3 - 1FK Neftchi Fargona1 - 4Al Ain FC1 - 3Al Ahli Saudi FC0 - 0Al-Shamal1 - 1Al QadsiahRegional standings
West and East run separate tables, computed from full-time results, 2026/27 season. After Round 2 of 8. Updated Tue 20 Oct, 22:29 UTCWest
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Ain FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 6 |
| 2 | Esteghlal FC Tehran | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 6 |
| 3 | Al Hilal SFC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 |
| 4 | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 |
| 5 | Al Ahli Saudi FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 |
| 6 | Al Qadsiah | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 |
| 7 | FK Neftchi Fargona | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 8 | Al Nassr Club | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
| 9 | Pakhtakor | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Al-Shamal | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Al-Ittihad Club | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 |
| 12 | Tractor Tabriz | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
| 13 | Al Gharafa SC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 0 |
| 14 | Al Wasl FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
| 15 | Al Quwa Al Jawiya | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
| 16 | Al Sadd SC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 |
East
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kashima Antlers | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 6 |
| 2 | Gamba Osaka | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 6 |
| 3 | Beijing Guoan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 |
| 4 | Vissel Kobe | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 |
| 5 | Shanghai Port FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 4 |
| 6 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 |
| 7 | Daejeon Citizen FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
| 8 | Kashiwa Reysol | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 3 |
| 9 | Kyoto Sanga FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Jeonbuk FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 11 | Buriram United | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 12 | Ratchaburi FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 0 |
| 13 | Cong An Ha Noi FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
| 14 | FC Pohang Steelers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
| 15 | Port FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
| 16 | Newcastle United Jets | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 0 |
How the knockout stage works
Both regional league phases run through several more rounds; the knockout bracket isn’t seeded yetRound of 16: two legs, 16 clubs
The top eight finishers from the West region and the top eight from the East region combine into a single 16-club bracket, played over two legs, home and away, on aggregate score.
Quarter-finals: single leg, centralized venue
From the quarter-finals onward, ties switch to single matches played at a centralized neutral venue. The host venue hasn’t been announced yet and will be confirmed closer to that stage.
Semi-finals: single leg
The semi-finals follow the same single-match, centralized-venue format as the quarter-finals.
Final: single match
The final is a single match at the centralized venue. The date, venue and finalists are all still to be determined.
Knockout ties appear here as soon as the draw is made.
How the AFC Champions League Elite works
32 clubs, two regions
The 32 clubs are split into a West region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Uzbekistan) and an East region (Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim, and Australia), 16 clubs each. The two regions run entirely independent competitions until the Round of 16.
Swiss-style league phase
Each club plays eight of the other 15 clubs in its own region across eight rounds, rather than a full round robin against all 15. Points, then goal difference, then goals scored, decide the regional standings.
Round of 16 qualification
The top eight clubs in each region’s 16-team table advance. The bottom eight in each region are eliminated at this stage, with no route into a lower continental competition from here.
Knockout rounds and final
From the Round of 16, ties are played over two legs, home and away. From the quarter-finals onward the format switches to single-leg matches at a centralized neutral venue, to be announced closer to that stage.
History and records
Recent finals
| Season | Champions | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Al-Ahli | Machida Zelvia |
| 2024-25 | Al-Ahli | Kawasaki Frontale |
| 2023-24 | Al Ain (agg) | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| 2022 | Urawa Red Diamonds (agg) | Al-Hilal |
| 2021 | Al-Hilal | Pohang Steelers |
Titles by club (2 or more)
| Club | Titles |
|---|---|
| Al-Hilal | 4 |
| Pohang Steelers | 3 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 3 |
| Al Ain | 2 |
| Al-Ahli | 2 |
| Al-Ittihad | 2 |
| Esteghlal | 2 |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2 |
The story so far
Al-Hilal’s four titles make them the competition’s most decorated club, spread across three different eras of the tournament: their maiden win in 1991, back-to-back titles either side of the millennium in 1999-2000, and a modern-era title in 2021. Saudi clubs have dominated the recent seasons of the competition, with Al-Ahli’s back-to-back wins in 2024-25 and 2025-26 extending a run of Saudi champions that also underlines how much financial investment in the Saudi Pro League has shifted the competition’s balance of power. East Asian clubs, particularly from Japan and South Korea, were historically the tournament’s most successful sides through the 1990s and 2000s, led by Pohang Steelers and Urawa Red Diamonds with three titles apiece, before West Asian clubs became more consistently dominant in the 2010s and 2020s. The 2024/25 rebrand to "AFC Champions League Elite" and the switch to a West/East regional Swiss-system format was the AFC’s biggest structural change to its top club competition since the modern group-stage era began.
AFC Champions League Elite clubs, 2026/27
32 clubs · 16 per regionWest
Al Ahli Saudi FCAl Ain FCAl Gharafa SCAl Hilal SFC
Al Nassr Club
Al QadsiahAl Quwa Al JawiyaAl Sadd SCAl Wasl FC
Al-Ittihad ClubAl-ShamalEsteghlal FC TehranFK Neftchi FargonaPakhtakorShabab Al Ahli DubaiTractor TabrizEast
Beijing GuoanBuriram UnitedCong An Ha Noi FCDaejeon Citizen FCFC Pohang SteelersGamba OsakaJeonbuk FCJohor Darul Ta’zimKashima AntlersKashiwa ReysolKyoto Sanga FCNewcastle United JetsPort FCRatchaburi FCShanghai Port FCVissel KobeAI predictions
Predicted scores and win probabilities for AFC Champions League Elite fixturesFK Neftchi Fargona
Al-Ittihad FCKyoto Sanga FCNewcastle United JetsDaejeon Citizen FCVissel KobeJohor Darul Ta’zimPort FCAFC Champions League Elite FAQs
What is the AFC Champions League Elite?
The AFC Champions League Elite is the Asian Football Confederation’s top club competition, contested by 32 of Asia’s leading clubs. It was founded in 1967 as the Asian Champion Club Tournament, renamed the Asian Club Championship in 1985, and rebranded to its current name as part of the AFC’s 2024/25 club competition reform.
How many teams play in the AFC Champions League Elite?
32 clubs take part in the 2026/27 edition, split evenly into a 16-club West region and a 16-club East region.
How does the West/East regional split work?
Clubs are grouped by geography instead of playing in one combined table. The West region draws mainly from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Iran, Iraq and Uzbekistan; the East region from Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia. Each region runs its own independent eight-round Swiss-style league phase, and the two regions don’t meet until the Round of 16.
How do teams qualify for the knockout stage?
The top eight clubs in each 16-team regional table advance, 16 clubs in total from both regions, into a two-legged Round of 16. The bottom eight in each region are eliminated at this stage.
Who are the defending AFC Champions League Elite champions?
Al-Ahli Saudi FC, who beat Machida Zelvia 1-0 in the 2025-26 final for their second consecutive title.
Who has won the most AFC Champions League Elite titles?
Al-Hilal, with four titles, in 1991, 1999-2000, 2019 and 2021.
When is the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite final?
The date and venue haven’t been confirmed yet. The league phase reaches Round 2 on 12 October 2026, with later rounds and the knockout schedule still to be published.
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The regional tables, fixtures and results are pulled from the client’s live match data feed and refreshed periodically. Standings are calculated from full-time results using points, then goal difference, then goals scored. Team crests are hosted on this site; kickoff times are shown in the visitor’s local timezone.