In 2009, Pohang Steelers, one of the most decorated clubs in Asia, had reached their first continental final in 11 years. They were up against the might of Al Ittihad, who had dismantled Pakhtakor (5-1) and Nagoya Grampus (8-3) in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. No Byung-jun gave the Steelers the lead in the second half at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo but it is the second goal which lives long in the memory.

In the 66th minute, a free-kick was floated in and Kim Hyung-il rose highest to score with a looping header as Pohang ultimately won 2-1 to lift the AFC Champions League for the first time. However, instead of celebrating the momentous occasion, the centre-back dropped to the floor and burst into tears in a tribute to his father who had recently passed away. One of the most touching Asian football moments indeed!

The second edition of the competition under its current brand saw Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad and Korea Republic’s Seongnam FC conquer all opponents to face-off in the final. The title looked all but set to head to Seongnam after the Koreans came away from Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah with an emphatic 3-1 first leg win.

What transpired at Seongnam Stadium a week later remains one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Asian football. A Redha Tukar header and a close-range finish from Hamza Idris set the tone in the first half, and a breathtaking second half saw the Saudis strike three times more. A brace from Mohammed Noor and a late strike from Manaf Abushgeer secured a famous 5-0 victory and brought the trophy to Jeddah for the first time.

Having created history by becoming the first woman to ever steer a top-flight team to a men’s league title when Eastern SC were crowned Hong Kong Premier League champions in 2016, Chan Yuen-ting wrote a new chapter in Asian football’s story when she became the first female to helm a men’s side in the AFC Champions League the following season. 

As fate would have it, Chan’s first assignment was against Brazilian FIFA World Cup winner Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Guangzhou FC in front of just under 40,000 at Tianhe Stadium. While Eastern suffered a heavy loss to the two-time champions, Chan’s team claimed a hugely impressive 1-1 draw at home to Japanese giants Kawasaki Frontale in their next game as the then 28-year-old tactician continued to rewrite history.

Syrian clubs first participated in the AFC Champions League in 2005 and it was a disappointing start as both Al Jaish and Al Wahda finished bottom of their respective groups, so when Al Ittihad and Al Karamah represented the country in the 2006 edition, expectations were not particularly high.

Al Karamah proved capable of going all the way against all odds, first topping a group that included UAE’s Al Wahda, Qatar’s Al Gharafa and IR Iran’s Saba Battery, then eliminating defending champions Al Ittihad and Kuwait’s Al Qadsia to reach an unlikely final in which they were narrowly edged out by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 3-2 on aggregate, leaving a unique mark amongst the top teams to have reached the continental final.

Western Sydney Wanderers’ march to the AFC Champions League final in 2014 on their debut campaign was a remarkable feat, having only been established two years earlier. Tony Popovic’s side had eliminated defending champions Guangzhou FC and FC Seoul to reach the final, and Tomi Juric’s first-leg goal against Al Hilal in Sydney meant they travelled to Riyadh with a lead to defend.

And defend they did, as the Al Hilal onslaught kept coming with chance after chance falling the Saudi side’s way. The leveller appeared almost certain when Yasser Al Qahtani’s goalbound effort whistled past goalkeeper Ante Covic, only for the custodian to somehow reach back and palm the ball to safety. The reaction among the Al Hilal faithful said it all as Western Sydney went on to be crowned Australia’s first champions. 

In Xavi’s last full season of AFC Champions League football, the Spanish midfielder led his side out at Azadi Stadium as they looked to reverse a 1-0 deficit from the first leg of the 2018 semi-finals against Persepolis, and within 17 minutes Al Sadd had stunned the 80,000 home fans thanks to Baghdad Bounedjah’s strike, restoring the aggregate parity.

Early in the second half, Siamak Nemati struck home the leveller, setting up a thrilling finale with Al Sadd chasing the game. With five minutes left on the clock, everyone thought Al Sadd had equalised when club captain Xavi rose unmarked to power a header towards goal from close range, but goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand produced one of the finest saves of his career to deny the Spanish legend and send Persepolis into their first-ever AFC Champions League final.

If any club has saved their best for the AFC Champions League over the years, it’s Urawa Red Diamonds, who achieved continental glory in 2007 and 2017. In 2019, they were denied a third title by familiar foes Al Hilal, but in 2022 – and with Saitama Stadium back to its vibrant best following the COVID years – they faced the Saudi side for a third time in six finals. 

A 1-1 first-leg draw in Riyadh left things finely poised ahead of the return meeting in Saitama, where both sides were aiming to become the first team to win the competition three times. In a closely fought affair, Andre Carrillo’s unfortunate own goal proved the difference as the 1-0 victory ultimately ensured Urawa’s will go down in history as the most successful team in the AFC Champions League era.

Not many players in world football can claim to have achieved the combination of loyalty, longevity and success as Mohammed Al Shalhoub did. The diminutive playmaker spent over three decades at Al Hilal, from joining the youth setup in 1993 until retiring in 2020 then joining the club’s coaching staff in which he remains a member till date.

As a 20-year-old, in just his second season as a first team member, Al Shalhoub was part of the Al Hilal side that beat Jubilo Iwata to win the Asian Club Championship in 2000. Growing into club captain and a devout servant of the blue shirt, Al Shalhoub had the honour of coming on as a last-minute substitute in the 2019 AFC Champions League final, with Al Hilal triumphant 3-0 on aggregate over Urawa Red Diamond, making his final continental appearance in the club colours as a 39-year-old before hanging his boots as a club legend having won two titles 19 years apart.

Johor Darul Ta’zim are the only Malaysian club to lift a continental title having won the AFC Cup™ back in 2015. Since then, the club had participated in multiple AFC Champions League group stage campaigns but failed to progress into the knockout rounds. However, it all changed in dramatic fashion in 2022 when they went into their final group game against Ulsan Hyundai with a chance of creating history.

Leandro Velazquez’s magnificent free-kick was cancelled out by Jun Amano but, with the game into stoppage time and JDT heading out, Park Yong-woo's own goal sent Sultan Ibrahim Stadium into raptures and head coach Benjamin Mora racing down the touchline with a celebration that will be etched forever into the competition’s folklore as JDT finished above Ulsan and Kawasaki Frontale to advance.

The AFC Champions League has had its fair share of world legends over the years, but none come close to five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend arrived to Asian football in December 2022 after joining Al Nassr from Manchester United. Nine months later he made his continental debut in a 2-0 away win over Persepolis in the 2023 group stage.

On his AFC Champions League home debut, Ronaldo helped his side come from a goal down to defeat Istiklol 3-1. With his side trailing after 66 minutes, the number 7 latched onto a through ball and after his initial strike was blocked by the defender, he pounced quickly, applying a dinked finish past goalkeeper Mukhriddin Khasanov to mark a historic moment with his first-ever goal in the competition.