AFC Announces Participating Clubs For Men's Competitions In 2025/26 Season

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the clubs participating in its men's competitions for the 2025/26 season. These include the AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite), AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two), and AFC Challenge League (ACGL). The line-ups were decided based on the finalised slot allocations and licensed clubs for these tournaments.

In total, 85 teams from 37 Member Associations will compete across these events, highlighting the confederation's commitment to enhancing Asian football. The Preliminary Stage matches are set for 12th-13th August 2025. Draws for the ACL Elite League Stage and ACL Two Group Stage will occur on 15th August, while the ACGL Group Stage draw is scheduled for 28th August.

The top-tier men's club competition in Asia will feature 13 teams from six Member Associations in both West and East regions. Each region will have 11 clubs entering directly into the League Stage, which begins on 15th September. Additionally, two indirect slots per region are available for entry through the Preliminary Stage.

ACL Two will have the largest number of participants among AFC's club competitions. For the 2025/26 season, it will include 29 teams—14 from the West and 15 from the East. This includes clubs eliminated from each region's ACL Elite Preliminary Stage. Six more teams will fill indirect slots to compete in the Preliminary Stage.

Winners of each Preliminary Stage match in ACL Two will advance to its Group Stage, which consists of 16 teams per region starting on 16th September. The three losing sides from these ties will enter the ACGL Group Stage for the same season.

The ACGL competition will see a total of 26 teams competing in its Group Stage beginning on 25th October. This includes five entries from the West and three from the East regions. An additional ten indirect entries will participate in the Preliminary Stage (West), with eight clubs doing so in the East.

Details regarding match schedules will be confirmed once all club entries are finalised, ensuring a comprehensive plan for this extensive football event across Asia.

With inputs from WAM