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The start date of the new season of the AFC Champions League Elite 2026-2027
The 2026-2027 AFC Champions League Elite Championship represents the forty-fifth edition of the most popular club competition on the Asian continent, organized by the Asian Football Confederation, and also the third to be held under the new name “AFC Champions League Elite”.
The Asian Football Confederation initially gave Saudi Arabia the right to host the tournament’s finals until 2029.
The team that wins the AFC Champions League Elite 2026-2027 will receive direct qualification for the AFC Champions League Elite 2027-2028, in addition to qualifying for the 2027 Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup.
The 2026-2027 season will witness the historic event of an increase in the number of clubs participating in the league stage to 32 teams, after the Asian Football Confederation announced on 24 April 2026 the expansion of the number of teams from 24 to 32 clubs.
It will also be the first season since the 2019 AFC Champions League to feature 32 teams in the tournament, a move that reflects the AFC’s direction to raise the level of competition and broaden the participation base among clubs on the continent.
Al-Ahly are the reigning champions after retaining the title for the second consecutive season since last winning it in 2026.
In the following report, Kooora tracks everything you want to know about the new AFC Elite Champions League season 2026-2027Competition start and end dates And the new system And the qualified clubs?
When does AFC Champions League Elite 2026-2027 start?
Under the new tournament system, the 2026-2027 AFC Champions League Elite competition will begin with qualifying play-off matches on 11 August 2026.
The most important and strongest stage of the tournament (league stage) starts on September 14, 2026, and the competition will continue until the day of the final match, which is scheduled for May 1, 2027.
|
Championship |
the beginning |
the end |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Champions League Elite 2026-2027 | September 14, 2026 | May 1, 2027 |
What is the system for the AFC Champions League Elite 2026-2027?
The Asian Football Confederation has announced the adoption of a package of new strategic changes to the elite AFC Champions League as part of its plans to develop the competition and raise the level of competition in the coming years, based on recommendations made by the federation’s Competitions Committee.
The AFC explained in an official statement that the most prominent of these changes is to increase the number of clubs participating in the tournament to 32 teams, with the new system starting from the 2026-2027 season.
Under the new system, participating teams will be split equally between the Western and Eastern Regions, with 16 teams per region. At the end of the league stage, the first to sixth placed clubs advance directly to the round of 16, while the teams that finish the competition between seventh and tenth place get an additional chance to continue their way to a new stage called the “play-off stage”.
This round is a new addition to the tournament system, as it gives clubs that failed to secure direct qualification places another chance to compete for places in the round of 16, instead of exiting the competition immediately after the league round ends.
The AFC also stated that the seventh- and eighth-placed teams will have the advantage of playing the play-off matches at home and in front of their own fans, and the winners of the play-off matches will be awarded the qualification contract for the round of 16, in a system specially designed to increase excitement and heighten the competition until the final stage of the league.
On the other hand, it is specified in the announcement that the new round of the playoffs will not take place during the 2026-2027 season, despite the start of the new tournament system, due to the full international agenda and the large number of world championships scheduled during that time.
The FFA has confirmed that the play-offs will be fully implemented from next season as part of a gradual plan to ensure a smooth transition to the new system and to get the most possible benefit from the changes that have been approved to develop the competition and enhance its standing on the continental scene.
Which clubs qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite 2026-2027?
The distribution of places in the elite AFC Champions League tournaments is based on the classification of national federations issued by the Asian Football Confederation under the new system established for the tournament from the 2026-2027 season.
The AFC decided to expand the tournament to 32 teams, split equally between the Western and Eastern regions, with 16 teams per region, ensuring wider representation of Asian clubs at club level in the most prestigious continental competition.
The total number of seats allotted in the western region is 16, including 13 direct and three mandates through the application. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia received the largest share with five seats, including four direct and one annex seat, while the United Arab Emirates received four seats, including three direct and one annex seat.
Three direct seats were allocated to Qatar, and Iran received two direct seats. Uzbekistan got direct and one more spot in the appendix, while Iraq got one direct spot and Jordan another spot in the appendix.
As for the Eastern region, 16 mandates have also been allocated, including 13 direct mandates and three mandates through the application. The list of the most represented federations was led by Japan with five places, including four straight and one play-off place, while South Korea received four places, including three straight and one play-off place.
Thailand was given three straight seats and China two straight seats. Australia also got a direct spot with a play-off spot, while Malaysia got one direct spot and the remaining play-off spot went to Vietnam.
Two additional spots are allocated and determined based on the identity of the winners of the continental confederation championships, one for the champion of the AFC Champions League 2 competition and the other for the qualifying competition.
In the following table, Kooora presents the list of clubs that have officially qualified for the 2026-2027 AFC Champions League elite competition, as well as the teams that will compete in the tournament’s qualifying play-off matches.
Western region
| State: | Qualified teams |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Al-Ahli |
| Victory | |
| Crescent | |
| Al-Qadisiyah | |
| UAE | Shabab Al-Ahli |
| The eye | |
| Al-Wasl | |
| Qatar | barrier |
| Al Gharafa | |
| North | |
| Iran | tractor |
| independence | |
| Uzbekistan | Neftchi Ferghana |
| Iraq | Air forces |
| Appendix: | |
| Saudi Arabia | Union |
| UAE | The island |
| Uzbekistan | Thank you |
| Jordan | Al Hussein |
Eastern region
| State: | Qualified teams |
|---|---|
| Japan | Vissel Kobe |
| Kashima Antlers | |
| Kashiwa Resol | |
| Kyoto Sangha | |
| South Korea | Junpek Hyundai |
| Pohang Steelers | |
| Dajuan Hana | |
| China | Shanghai Bort |
| Peking Guan | |
| Thailand | Buriram United |
| Port: | |
| Ratchaburi | |
| Australia | Newcastle Jets |
| Malaysia | Johor Darul Ta’zim |
| Appendix: | |
| Japan | Gamba Osaka |
| South Korea | Gangwon |
| Australia | Adelaide United |
| Vietnam | Cong An Hanoi |
