Saudi Arabia is strengthening its grip on Asia. The leadership of “Elite” brings together the leadership of the kingdom’s clubs on the continent.

Saudi football imposed its absolute dominance on the Asian continent after the Kingdom topped the new rankings of men’s club competitions announced by the Asian Football Confederation at the end of the 2025-2026 season on Tuesday, maintaining its lead on the yellow continent for the second consecutive year.

Saudi Arabia topped the continental table with a total of 132,545 points, according to the AFC’s official website, benefiting from the remarkable brilliance of its clubs in the continental championships.

Al-Ahly’s second straight AFC Champions League crown last month was the most prominent factor in consolidating the lead, with Al-Nasr reaching their second AFC Champions League final and finishing as runners-up.

Japan are second with 120,410 points after a historic season that saw Machida Zelvia reach the AFC Champions League Elite final for the first time and Gamba Osaka added to his country’s points tally after winning a second AFC Champions League title with a 1-0 win over Al-Nasr in the final, led by Saudi Arabia’s Ronaldo.

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South Korea were third with 87,334 points, benefiting from their clubs’ collective presence in the advanced stages this season as Gangwon and Seoul reached the AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 and Pohang Steelers reached their second AFC Champions League play-off round. Accumulating points from previous seasons, such as Pohang’s runner-up finish in the 2021 edition and Guangzhou’s elite quarter-final run last year, also helped cement its third position.

Indonesia recorded the biggest jump in the rankings after jumping from 25th to 20th place, moving up five full places thanks to Persip Bandung reaching the last 16 of the AFC Champions League second round and Dewa United reaching the quarter-finals of the AFC Challenge League.