2027–28 AFC Champions League Elite
International football competition
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The 2027–28 AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) will be the 46th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the fourth under the AFC Champions League Elite title.
27 July–10 August 2027
Competition proper:
13 September 2027 – 29 April 2028
Total: 36 (from 14 associations)
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 27 July–10 August 2027 Competition proper: 13 September 2027 – 29 April 2028 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 36 (from 14 associations) |
← 2026–27 2028–29 → | |
Saudi Arabia has provisionally been awarded the hosting rights for the finals until 2029.[1] The tournament winner will qualify for the 2028–29 AFC Champions League Elite league stage, the 2028 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.[2]
Association team allocation
The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2025–26 competitions were completed.[3][4]
| Participation for 2027–28 AFC Champions League Elite | |
|---|---|
| Participating | |
| Not participating | |
|
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Teams
| Entry round | West Region | East Region | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League stage | Team | Qualifying method | App. (last) | Team | Qualifying method | App. (last) |
 |
2026–27 Saudi Pro League champions |  |
2026–27 J1 League champions | |||
|
2026–27 Saudi Pro League runners-up | |
2026–27 J1 League runners-up | |||
|
2026–27 Saudi Pro League third place | |
2026–27 J1 League third place | |||
 |
2026–27 UAE Pro League champions |  |
2026 K League 1 champions | |||
|
2026–27 UAE President's Cup winners | |
2026 K League 1 runners-up | |||
|
2026–27 UAE Pro League runners-up | |
2026 K League 1 third place | |||
 |
2026–27 Persian Gulf Pro League champions |  |
2026–27 Thai League 1 champions | |||
|
2026–27 Persian Gulf Pro League second place | |
2026–27 Thai League 1 runners-up | |||
|
2026–27 Persian Gulf Pro League third place | |
2026–27 Thai League 1 third place | |||
 |
2026–27 Qatar Stars League champions |  |
2026 Chinese Super League champions | |||
|
2026 Amir of Qatar Cup winners | |
2026 Chinese FA Cup winners | |||
 |
2026 Uzbekistan Super League champions |  |
2026–27 A-League Men regular season premiers | |||
 |
2026–27 Jordanian Pro League champions |  |
2026–27 Malaysia Super League champions | |||
| Preliminary stage | |
2026–27 Saudi Pro League fourth place | |
2026–27 J1 League fourth place | ||
|
2026–27 Saudi Pro League fifth place | |
2026–27 J1 League fifth place | |||
|
2026–27 UAE Pro League third place | |
2026 K League 1 fourth place | |||
|
2026 Uzbekistan Cup winners | |
2026–27 A-League Men regular season runners-up | |||
 |
2026–27 Iraq Stars League champions |  |
2026–27 Singapore Premier League champions | |||
The following teams will also qualify to the West or East region unless they have already qualified via their domestic performance.
| Entry round | Team | Qualifying method | App. (last) |
|---|---|---|---|
| League stage | 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite champions | ||
| Qualifying play-off | 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two champions |