AFC Competitions
The line-ups for the newly-expanded AFC Champions League Elite™ (ACL Elite), AFC Champions League Two™ (ACL Two) and AFC Challenge League™ (ACGL) were determined in accordance with the AFC Club Competitions – Entry Regulations (Edition 2025) and AFC Club Competitions 2026/27 Slot Allocation—which can be found here and here respectively—and the list of licensed clubs.
A total of 93 clubs across 38 Member Associations (MAs) are set to be involved in Continental action, reinforcing the Confederation’s commitment to elevating the level of Asian football by staging top-class competitions.
The Preliminary Stage for both the ACL Elite and ACGL is slated for August 11, 2026, while it will take place on August 12, 2026 for the ACL Two.
Thereafter, the 2026/27 draw for both the ACL Elite League Stage and ACL Two Group Stage will be held on August 18, with the ACGL Group Stage Draw to be conducted on August 20.
ACL Elite
The 24th edition of Asia’s elite men’s club tournament under the ACL banner will feature an expanded number of 32 clubs in the League Stage – an increase from the 24 that featured in each of the preceding two seasons. Intended to provide more opportunities for elite clubs to compete against the Continent’s best, the format change means that 18 clubs across seven MAs each from the West and East regions have entered the competition. Four clubs from each region start at the Preliminary Stage, where two places in the League Stage are on offer; the remaining 14 enter at the League Stage, which is slated to kick off on September 14, 2026.
The full list of entries is as follows:
The 24th edition of Asia’s elite men’s club tournament under the ACL banner will feature an expanded number of 32 clubs in the League Stage – an increase from the 24 that featured in each of the preceding two seasons. Intended to provide more opportunities for elite clubs to compete against the Continent’s best, the format change means that 18 clubs across seven MAs each from the West and East regions have entered the competition. Four clubs from each region start at the Preliminary Stage, where two places in the League Stage are on offer; the remaining 14 enter at the League Stage, which is slated to kick off on September 14, 2026.
The full list of entries is as follows:
ACL Two
A total of 25 sides—12 from the West region and 13 from the East—have been granted direct entry to the Group Stage of the ACL Two 2026/27, which is slated to begin its first matchday on September 15, 2026. They will be joined by the four losing clubs from the ACL Elite Preliminary Stage as well as the three clubs that progress from the ACL Two Preliminary Stage.
The full list of entries is as follows:
ACGL
Five clubs from the West region and three from the East will commence their ACGL 2026/27 campaign in the Group Stage that will run from October 17 to November 24, 2026, with a further five sides to advance from the Preliminary Stage (West) and four from the Preliminary Stage (East). The 20-strong cast will be completed by the three losing clubs from the ACL Two Preliminary Stage – two from the West and one from the East.
The full list of entries is as follows:
Stay tuned to the-AFC.com for the latest news of the ACL Elite, ACL Two and ACGL.
