2026–27 AFC Champions League Two
Association football tournament
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The 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two will be the 23rd edition of the Asia's second-tier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the third under the AFC Champions League Two title.[1][2]
29 July – 12 August 2026
Competition proper:
15 September 2026 – 15 May 2027
Total: 36 (from 24 associations)
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 29 July – 12 August 2026 Competition proper: 15 September 2026 – 15 May 2027 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 36 (from 24 associations) |
← 2025–26 2027–28 → | |
The tournament will feature 32 teams in the group stage.[3] The winner will qualify for the preliminary stage of the 2027–28 AFC Champions League Elite, if they have not already qualified through their domestic performance.[4]
Association team allocation
The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2024–25 competitions were completed.[5][6][7][8]
| Participation for 2025–2026 AFC Champions League Two | |
|---|---|
| Participating | |
| Not participating | |
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- Notes
Teams
Note: Teams in italics may still qualify for the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite.
The following teams will also qualify to the group stage of the West region unless they have already qualified based on their domestic performance.
| Entry round | Team | Qualifying method | App. (last) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage | 2025–26 AFC Challenge League champions[Note ACGL] | ||
| Preliminary stage | 2025–26 AFC Challenge League runners-up[Note ACGL] |
- Notes
- ^ AFC Challenge League (ACGL): Al-Kuwait have qualified as they reached the 2026 AFC Challenge League final.
- ^ Australia (AUS): As 2025 Australia Cup winners Newcastle Jets qualified for the Champions League Elite via their league position, the spot reserved for the Australia Cup winners was transferred to the fourth place of the 2025–26 A-League Men regular season.[10][11][12]
- ^ Malaysia (MAS): As 2025 Malaysia FA Cup winners Johor Darul Ta'zim qualified for the Champions League Elite via their league position, the spot reserved for the Malaysia FA Cup winners was transferred to the runners-up of the 2025–26 Malaysia Super League.
- ^ Singapore (SGP): If Lion City Sailors win the 2025–26 Singapore Premier League, the spot reserved for the Singapore Cup winners will be transferred to the runners-up of the 2025–26 Singapore Premier League.