Al Ahli will be meeting a team from Japan for the first time while this will be Frontale's second encounter with a side from Saudi Arabia, having stunned Al Nassr Club 3-2 in their semi-final.

In five previous meetings with teams from the East Zone, Al Ahli have only won once - against Shenzhen in the first leg of their 2005 quarter-final. The China PR side, however, won the return leg 3-1 to advance 4-3 on aggregate.

Frontale have yet to taste defeat against West Asian opposition - twice drawing with Islamic Republic of Iran's Sepahan in the 2007 edition and then registering wins against Qatar's Al Sadd SC and Al Nassr at Jeddah 2025.

This will be the fourth final between teams from Saudi Arabia and Japan, the most common final match-up in the tournament. All the previous finals were between Al Hilal SFC and Urawa Red Diamonds, with the Saudi Arabian side winning in 2019 and the Japanese club lifting the trophy in 2017 and 2022.

Frontale will have to not only overcome Al Ahli on the pitch but their fans in the stands as well with Japanese clubs having only won once in seven away games in the final of the AFC Champions League Elite (W1 D4 L2).

Al Ahli will go into the final on a 17-match unbeaten streak on the continent - having won 13 and drawn four. Only Japan's Gamba Osaka (19) between 2006 and 2009, Al Hilal (20) between 2006 and 2010, and Korea Republic's Ulsan HD (20) between 2020 and 2022 have longer unbeaten streaks in the tournament.

Frontale only managed one goal in their opening three matches but the Japanese side have been unstoppable since, netting 26 since to tie with their best ever tally achieved in 2021.

Al Ahli will be aiming to become the fifth team to win the AFC Champions League Elite unbeaten

after Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad (2005), Urawa Red Diamonds (2007), Gamba Osaka (2008) and Ulsan HD (2020).

Riyad Mahrez has matched the highest number of goal contributions in a single AFC Champions League Elite edition (17 – 9 goals and 8 assists), tied with Muriqui in 2013 (13 goals and 4 assists). No player has contributed to more goals in a single edition of the tournament since at least 2013.

Frontale will count on Erison and Marcinho to power them with the Brazilians in fine form. Erison has four goals and two assists while Marcinho has netted five and contributed to one.