Post by : Bianca Suleiman
Photo: WAM
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the list of clubs taking part in its three men’s football competitions for the 2025/26 season.
These competitions are the AFC Champions League Elite™ (ACL Elite), AFC Champions League Two™ (ACL Two), and AFC Challenge League™ (ACGL). The teams were chosen based on the official slot allocations and club licenses.
In total, 85 teams from 37 different countries will compete in the AFC’s club tournaments. This shows how serious the AFC is about organizing strong competitions to improve football across Asia.
The Preliminary Stage matches will be played on August 12th and 13th, 2025. The draws to decide the groups for the ACL Elite League Stage and the ACL Two Group Stage will take place on August 15th. The draw for the ACGL Group Stage will happen on August 28th.
The top-level men’s club competition, ACL Elite, will have 13 teams from six countries in both the West and East regions of Asia. Each region will have 11 clubs directly entering the League Stage, which will start on September 15th. Additionally, there are two indirect spots for clubs to join the Preliminary Stage.
The ACL Two is the biggest competition among the three. In 2025/26, it will have 29 clubs: 14 from the West and 15 from the East. This count includes teams that lose in the ACL Elite Preliminary Stage. Six more clubs will join the Preliminary Stage to fight for a place in the Group Stage.
The winners from the Preliminary Stage matches will move on to the Group Stage, which has 16 teams in each region. The Group Stage starts on September 16th. The three teams that lose in the Preliminary Stage will enter the ACGL Group Stage.
The ACGL competition will feature 26 teams. In the Group Stage, there will be five teams from the West region and three from the East. The ACGL Group Stage will begin on October 25th.
Besides this, 10 clubs from the West and 8 clubs from the East will play in the Preliminary Stage. More details will be shared once all clubs confirm their participation.
This setup shows the AFC’s plan to create exciting and competitive football tournaments for clubs across Asia in the coming season.
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