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The AFC has been rewarding the Kingdom in the last two editions after their success in the last rounds
The Asian Football Confederation has decided the future of the AFC Champions League finals for the elite, giving Saudi Arabia the right to host the tournament for three additional seasons until 2029, a move that reflects great confidence in the Kingdom’s organizational abilities after success in the last two games.
The Asian Confederation has revealed Official announcementThis Thursday morning, the Federation’s Executive Office in its meeting confirmed the approval of Saudi Arabia to host the final stages of the continental championship for the 2026-2027, 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons.
This comes after the approval granted in December 2023 was temporary before it was converted to permanent approval.
The AFC attributed the decision to the Kingdom’s organizational success in hosting the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 editions, reinforcing its belief that the finals will continue to be held on Saudi soil.
Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia won the previous two games of the continental championship, at the expense of Kawasaki Frontale and Japan’s Machida Zelvia, respectively.
The AFC has also agreed to make changes to the elite system of the AFC Champions League starting from the 2026-2027 season, in proportion to the participation of 32 teams in the tournament.
In the new system, the draw will adopt four tiers instead of two, with each team playing two matches against clubs in each tier.
The finals of the league stage will be played simultaneously in the East and West Regions in order to reinforce the principle of equal opportunities between all clubs.
Read also:
What is the new system for AFC Champions League Elite 2026-2027?
Japan outranks Jordan and Qatar
In a related context, the Executive Office has officially approved Japan to host the 2028 AFC U-23 Cup Final, which will also serve as an Asian qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Japan’s selection followed a competition of files submitted by Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar and Uzbekistan.
The UAE was eliminated from the host race earlier.
The AFC explained that the Japanese file was preferred due to the readiness of sports facilities and low operational risks, in addition to the principle of geographical diversity in hosting continental championships.
