2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite
Association football tournament
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The 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) will be the 45th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the third under the AFC Champions League Elite title.
11 August 2026
Competition proper:
14 September 2026 – 1 May 2027
Total: 40 (from 14 associations)
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 11 August 2026 Competition proper: 14 September 2026 – 1 May 2027 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 40 (from 14 associations) |
← 2025–26 2027–28 → | |
Saudi Arabia has provisionally been awarded the hosting rights for the finals until 2029.[1] The tournament winner will qualify for the 2027–28 AFC Champions League Elite league stage, the 2027 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.[2]
This will be the first season of the ACL Elite to feature 32 teams in the league stage of the competition, with the AFC confirming on 24 April 2026 that the league stage of the tournament would be expanded from 24 teams to 32.[3] This will be the first season since the 2019 AFC Champions League, in which 32 teams will compete in the competition proper.
Al-Ahli are two-time defending champions, having retained the title in 2026.
Association team allocation
The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2024–25 competitions were completed.[4][5][6]
| Participation for 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite | |
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| Participating | |
| Not participating | |
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Teams
- Notes
- ^ Japan (JPN): The champions of the J1 100 Year Vision League were given qualification spots due to the transition of the J1 League to a September to May season calendar.[8]
- ^ South Korea (KOR): As the 2025 K League 1 third-placed team, Gimcheon Sangmu is ineligible to qualify for AFC competitions due its military ownership; the spot reserved for the K League 1 third-placed team was transferred to the fourth-placed team in the league, and the spot reserved for the K League 1 fourth-placed team was transferred to the fifth-placed team in the league.
- ^ BYE: Received a bye to the League Stage in accordance with the relevant Competition Regulations[9]
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is expected to be as follows.[10]
| Stage | Round | Draw date | West region | East region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary stage | No draw | 11 August 2026 | ||
| League stage | Matchday 1 | 14 August 2026 | 14–15 September 2026 | 15–16 September 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | 12–13 October 2026 | 13–14 October 2026 | ||
| Matchday 3 | 26–27 October 2026 | 27–28 October 2026 | ||
| Matchday 4 | 2–3 November 2026 | 3–4 November 2026 | ||
| Matchday 5 | 23–24 November 2026 | 24–25 November 2026 | ||
| Matchday 6 | 7–8 December 2026 | 1–2 December 2026 | ||
| Matchday 7 | 8–9 February 2027 | 9–10 February 2027 | ||
| Matchday 8 | 15–16 February 2027 | 16–17 February 2027 | ||
| Round of 16 | 25 February 2027 | 1–16 March 2027 | 9–17 March 2027 | |
| Finals | Quarter-finals | 13 March 2027 | 23–30 April 2027 | |
| Semi-finals | ||||
| Final | 1 May 2027 | |||
Preliminary round
The four winners of the play-off round (two from West Region and two from East Region) advanced to the league stage to join the 28 direct entrants. The losers of the preliminary round will enter the group stage of the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two.[2]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| West Region | ||
Al Jazira  | 11 Aug |  Al-Ittihad |
Pakhtakor  | 11 Aug |  Al-Hussein |
| East Region | ||
Gangwon  | 11 Aug |  Gamba Osaka |
Adelaide United  | 11 Aug |  Công An Hà Nội |
West Region
East Region
League stage
Orange: East Region; 
Blue: West Region|
Location of the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite league stage teams in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. |
Location of the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite teams in China, Japan and South Korea.
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