2025–26 AFC Champions League Two knockout stage
Knockout stage of Asia's secondary club football tournament
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The knockout stage of the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two was played from 10 February to 16 May 2026.[1] A total of 16 teams competed in the knockout stage.[2]
Qualified teams
The following teams advanced from the group stage.[3]
| Region | Group | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Region | A |  Al Wasl |
 Esteghlal |
| B |  Al Ahli |
 Arkadag | |
| C |  Al-Hussein |
Sepahan | |
| D |  Al-Nassr |
 Al-Zawraa | |
| East Region | E |  Macarthur FC |
 Công An Hà Nội |
| F |  Gamba Osaka |
 Ratchaburi | |
| G |  Persib |
Bangkok United | |
| H |  Tampines Rovers |
 Pohang Steelers |
Format
In the knockout stage, 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, split by Region. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, except the final which was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out would be used to decide the winners if necessary (Regulations Article 10). The order of matches (home vs away) was determined at the draw, except for the final, which was pre-determined on a rotation basis, with the match to be hosted by the team from the West Region. The draw for the knockout stage was held on 30 December 2025.[4]
Schedule
The quarter-finals for the West Region were initially postponed due to the impacts from the 2026 Iran war.[5][6] On 24 March 2026, the AFC announced that the West Region quarter-finals and semi-finals would take place at a centralised venue at Zabeel Stadium, Dubai.[7][8]
The schedule of the competition is as follows.[2]
| Stage | Round | Draw date | West Region | East Region | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Leg | Second leg | First Leg | Second leg | |||
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 | 30 December 2025 | 10–11 February 2026 | 17–18 February 2026 | 11–12 February 2026 | 18–19 February 2026 |
| Quarter-finals | 19 April 2026 | 4 March 2026 | 11 March 2026 | |||
| Semi-finals | 22 April 2026 | 8 April 2026 | 15 April 2026 | |||
| Final | 16 May 2026 | |||||
Bracket
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||||||||
| Al-Zawraa | 3 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||
| Al Wasl (a.e.t.) | 2 | 4 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| Al Wasl | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Nassr | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Arkadag | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Al-Nassr | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Al-Nassr | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| West Region | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al Ahli | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sepahan | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Al Ahli (a.e.t.) | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Al Ahli | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Hussein | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Esteghlal | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 16 May – Riyadh | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Hussein | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Al-Nassr | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gamba Osaka | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Pohang Steelers | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Gamba Osaka | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Gamba Osaka (a.e.t.) | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Ratchaburi | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Ratchaburi | 3 | 0 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Persib | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Gamba Osaka | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| East Region | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bangkok United | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Bangkok United | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Macarthur FC | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Bangkok United | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Tampines Rovers | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Công An Hà Nội | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Tampines Rovers | 3 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
Round of 16
Summary
The first legs were played on 10 and 12 February, and the second legs were played on 17 and 19 February 2026.[9]
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Region | ||||
| Al-Zawraa | 5–6 | Al Wasl | 3–2 | 2–4 (a.e.t.) |
| Arkadag | 0–2 | Al-Nassr | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Sepahan | 2–3 | Al Ahli | 2–2 | 0–1 (a.e.t.) |
| Esteghlal | 2–4 | Al-Hussein | 0–1 | 2–3 |
| East Region | ||||
| Pohang Steelers | 2–3 | Gamba Osaka | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| Ratchaburi | 3–1 | Persib | 3–0 | 0–1 |
| Bangkok United | 4–2 | Macarthur FC | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| Công An Hà Nội | 1–6 | Tampines Rovers | 0–3[a] | 1–3 |
West Region
Al Wasl won 6–5 on aggregate.
| Esteghlal | 0–1 | Al-Hussein |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Al-Hussein | 3–2 | Esteghlal |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Al-Hussein won 4–2 on aggregate.
Al-Nassr won 2–0 on aggregate.
| Al Ahli | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Sepahan |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Al Ahli won 3–2 on aggregate.
East Region
| Ratchaburi | 3–0 | Persib |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Ratchaburi won 3–1 on aggregate.
| Công An Hà Nội | 0–3 Awarded[a] | Tampines Rovers |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Tampines Rovers | 3–1 | Công An Hà Nội |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Tampines Rovers won 6–1 on aggregate.
| Bangkok United | 2–0 | Macarthur FC |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Macarthur FC | 2–2 | Bangkok United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Bangkok United won 4–2 on aggregate.
| Pohang Steelers | 1–1 | Gamba Osaka |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Gamba Osaka | 2–1 | Pohang Steelers |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Gamba Osaka won 3–2 on aggregate.
Quarter-finals
Summary
The West Region quarter-finals fixtures were originally scheduled to take place between 3 and 10 March, but were postponed by the AFC due to impacts from the 2026 Iran war.[5][6] The quarter-finals for the West Region were rescheduled to take place on 19 April, as single-legged ties.[12]
The first legs for the East Region were played on 4 and 5 March, with the second legs played on 11 and 12 March.[13]
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Region | ||||
| Gamba Osaka | 3–2 | Ratchaburi | 1–1 | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
| Bangkok United | 4–3 | Tampines Rovers | 2–1 | 2–2 |
West Region
East Region
| Gamba Osaka | 1–1 | Ratchaburi |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Gamba Osaka won 3–2 on aggregate.
| Bangkok United | 2–1 | Tampines Rovers |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Bangkok United won 4–3 on aggregate.
Semi-finals
Summary
The East Region first leg was played on 8 April, and the second leg was played on 15 April. The semi-final for the West Region was played on 22 April.
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Region | ||||
| Gamba Osaka | 3–1 | Bangkok United | 0–1 | 3–0 |
West Region
East Region
| Gamba Osaka | 0–1 | Bangkok United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Bangkok United | 0–3 | Gamba Osaka |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Gamba Osaka won 3–1 on aggregate.
Final
| Al-Nassr | 0–1 | Gamba Osaka |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Hümmet  30' |
Notes
- Tampines Rovers were awarded a 3–0 victory by forfeit, after Công An Hà Nội fielded two ineligible players, Stefan Mauk and Rogério Alves. The score on the field was originally a 4–0 win by Công An Hà Nội.[10]
- Esteghlal were required to play their home matches at neutral venues instead of their regular home stadium, Azadi Stadium, Tehran, due to security concerns relating to the 2026 Iran massacres.[11]
- Al-Hussein played their home matches at Amman International Stadium, Amman, instead of their regular home stadium Al-Hassan Stadium, Irbid, which did not meet AFC requirements.
- Sepahan were required to play their home matches at neutral venues instead of their regular home stadium, Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium, Isfahan, due to security concerns relating to the 2026 Iran massacres.[11]
- Due to the impacts from the 2026 Iran war, the AFC decided to play a one-legged tie.[12]
- Bangkok United were required to play their home matches at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, as their regular home stadium—Pathum Thani Stadium, Pathum Thani—was hosting the 2026 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup.