2025–26 AFC Champions League Two

2025–26 AFC Champions League TwoTournament details

Teams| Competition proper: 32 (from 24 associations)

<- 2024–25

2026–27 ->

International football competition

The 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two will be the 22nd edition of the Asia's second-tier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the second under the AFC Champions League Two title.[1][2] It will feature 32 teams in the group stage.[3] The winner will be given an indirect preliminary stage slot for the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite, if they have not already qualified through their domestic performance.

## Association team allocation

[edit]

The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2023–24 competitions were completed.[4][5] Slots are subject to later re-balancing based on the 2024–25 competition results.

Participation for 2025–2026 AFC Champions League Two

| Participating
| Not participating

West Region (4 groups)  | Rank | Member
association  | Points  | Slots

|
|
|

Group
stage  | Play-off
Zone | AFC
— | — | 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite qualifying round losers  | — | 1 | 0
1 | 1 |  Saudi Arabia | 103.148 | 1 | 0
2 | 4 |  United Arab Emirates | 74.873 | 1 | 0
3 | 5 |  Qatar | 70.330 | 1 | 0
4 | 6 |  Iran | 68.640 | 1 | 0
5 | 9 |  Uzbekistan | 47.259 | 1 | 0
6 | 10 |  Iraq | 37.118 | 1 | 0
7 | 13 |  Jordan | 30.403 | 2 | 0
8 | 16 |  Bahrain | 23.368 | 2 | 0
9 | 17 |  India | 22.806 | 1 | 1
10 | 18 |  Tajikistan | 22.493 | 1 | 1
11 | 19 |  Turkmenistan | 20.217 | 0 (+1 ACGL) | 1
12 | 20 |  Oman | 20.048 | 0 | 1
Total  | Participating associations: 12  | 14 | 4

East Region (4 groups)  | Rank | Member
association  | Points  | Slots

|
|
|

Group
stage  | Play-off
Zone | AFC
— | — | 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite qualifying round losers  | — | 1 or 2 | 0
1 | 2 |  Japan | 96.999 | 1 | 0
2 | 3 |  South Korea | 93.600 | 1 | 0
3 | 7 |  China | 57.764 | 1 | 0
4 | 8 |  Thailand | 49.546 | 1 | 0
5 | 11 |  Australia | 34.703 | 1 | 0
6 | 12 |  Malaysia | 31.331 | 1 | 0
7 | 14 |  Vietnam | 28.657 | 2 | 0
8 | 15 |  Hong Kong | 26.888 | 2 | 0
9 | 23 |  Singapore | 17.350 | 1 | 1
10 | 25 |  Philippines | 16.230 | 1 | 1
11 | 28 |  Indonesia | 14.816 | 0 | 1
12 | 29 |  North Korea | 13.923 | 0 | 1
Total  | Participating associations: 12  | 13–14 | 4
17–18

## Teams

[edit]

The number of appearances and last appearance include the AFC Cup as the predecessor of the AFC Champions League Two.

West Region  Group stage direct entrants  | Team  | Qualifying method  | App. (last)

|
|

| 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite qualifying round losers  |
| 2024–25 Saudi King's Cup winners[6] | 1st
| 2024–25 UAE Pro League fourth place[Note UAE] |
Al-Gharafa | 2024–25 Qatar Stars League third place[Note QAT] | 1st
| 2024–25 Hazfi Cup winners  | 1st
Andijon | 2024 Uzbekistan Cup winners  | 1st
| 2024–25 Iraq FA Cup winners  |
Al-Hussein | 2024–25 Jordanian Pro League champions
Possible 2024–25 Jordan FA Cup winners  | 3rd (2024–25)
Al-Muharraq | 2024–25 Bahraini Premier League champions  | 8th (2021)
Mohun Bagan | 2024–25 Indian Super League champions  | 8th (2023–24)
Istiklol | 2024 Tajikistan Higher League champions  | 8th (2024–25)
Arkadag | 2024–25 AFC Challenge League winners
2024 Ýokary Liga champions
2024 Turkmenistan Cup winners[Note TKM] | 1st
Al-Wehdat | 2024–25 Jordan FA Cup winners or 2024–25 Jordanian Pro League runners-up  | 14th (2024–25)
Al Khaldiya | 2024–25 Bahraini King's Cup winners  | 3rd (2024–25)
Qualifying play-off participants  Team  | Qualifying method  | App. (last)

|
|

Goa | 2025 Super Cup winners  | 1st
Regar-TadAZ Tursunzoda | 2024 Tajikistan Cup winners  | 2nd (2013)
Ahal | 2024 Ýokary Liga runners-up[Note TKM] | 6th (2021)
Al-Seeb | 2024–25 Oman Professional League champions  | 2nd (2022)
East Region  Group stage direct entrants  | Team  | Qualifying method  | App. (last)

|
|

| 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite qualifying round losers  |

Gamba Osaka | 2024 J1 League fourth place[Note JPN] | 1st
Pohang Steelers | 2024 Korean FA Cup winners  | 1st
Beijing Guoan | 2024 Chinese Super League fourth place[Note CHN] | 1st
| 2024–25 Thai FA Cup winners  |
Macarthur FC | 2024 Australia Cup winners  | 2nd (2023–24)
Selangor | 2024–25 Malaysia Super League runners-up[Note MAS] | 7th (2024–25)
| 2024–25 V.League 1 champions  |
| 2024–25 Vietnamese Cup winners  |
| 2024–25 Hong Kong Premier League champions  |
| 2024–25 Hong Kong FA Cup winners  |
Lion City Sailors | 2024–25 Singapore Premier League champions[Note SGP]
Possible 2024–25 Singapore Cup winners  | 12th (2024–25)
Kaya–Iloilo | 2024–25 Philippines Football League champions  | 6th (2024–25)
Qualifying play-off participants  Team  | Qualifying method  | App. (last)

|
|

Tampines Rovers | 2024–25 Singapore Cup winners or 2024–25 Singapore Premier League runners-up[Note SGP] | 16th (2024–25)
Manila Digger | 2024–25 Philippines Football League runners-up  | 1st
Persib | 2024–25 Liga 1 champions  | 3rd (2024–25)
| 2024–25 DPR Korea Premier Football League champions  |

Notes

1. ^

China (CHN): As 2024 Chinese FA Cup winners Shanghai Port qualified for the Champions League Elite via their league position, the spot reserved for the Chinese FA Cup winners was transferred to the fourth-placed team in the 2024 Chinese Super League.

2. ^

Japan (JPN): As 2024 Emperor's Cup winners Vissel Kobe qualified for the Champions League Elite via their league position, the spot reserved for the Emperor's Cup winners was transferred to the fourth-placed team the 2024 J1 League.

3. ^

Malaysia (MAS): As 2024 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 2024–25 Malaysia Super League.

4. ^

Qatar (QAT): Al-Gharafa may still qualify for the Champions League Elite by winning the 2025 Emir of Qatar Cup. If so, the team finishing fourth in the 2024–25 Qatar Stars League will qualify.

5. ^

Singapore (SGP): Lion City Sailors may still qualify for the Champions League Elite by winning the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two. If so, the winners of the 2024–25 Singapore Cup will qualify for the group stage, and the runners-up of the 2024–25 Singapore Premier League will enter the qualifying play-offs. If Lion City Sailors also win the Singapore Cup, then the runners-up of the Singapore Premier League will qualify for the group stage, and the third-placed team will enter the qualifying play-offs.

6. ^

Turkmenistan (TKM): As Arkadag won the 2024–25 AFC Challenge League, 2024 Ýokary Liga, and 2024 Turkmenistan Cup, and since Turkmenistan has no ACL Two direct slot based on its regional ranking, one additional ACL Two direct slot was allocated to Turkmenistan for Arkadag and the spot reserved for Ýokary Liga champions was transferred to the runners-up, Ahal.

7. ^

United Arab Emirates (UAE): As 2024–25 UAE President's Cup winners Shabab Al Ahli qualified for the Champions League Elite via their league position, the spot reserved for the UAE President’s Cup was transferred to the third-placed team in the 2024–25 UAE Pro League. The spot originally reserved for the third-placed team was then transferred to the fourth-placed team.

## Schedule

[edit]

The schedule of the competition is as follows.[7] All matches will be played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, apart from the final which will take place on a Sunday.

Stage  | Round  | Draw date  | West Region  | East Region

|
|
|
|

Preliminary Stage | Preliminary stage 1 | No draw[a] | 30 July 2025
Preliminary stage 2  | 6 August 2025
Preliminary stage 3  | 13 August 2025
Group stage  | Matchday 1  | TBD | 16-17 September 2025  | 17-18 September 2025
Matchday 2  | 30 September and 1 October 2025  | 1-2 October 2025
Matchday 3  | 21-22 October 2025  | 22-23 October 2025
Matchday 4  | 4–5 November 2025  | 5-6 November 2025
Matchday 5  | 25–26 November 2025  | 26-27 November 2025
Matchday 6  | 9–10 December 2025  | 10-11 December 2025
Knockout stage  | Round of 16  | TBD | 10-11 February and 17-18 February 2026  | 11-12 February and 18-19 February 2026
Quarter-finals  | 3-4 March and 10-11 March 2026  | 4-5 March and 11-12 March 2026
Semi-finals  | 7 April and 14 April 2026  | 8 April and 15 April 2026
Final  | 16 May 2026

## See also

[edit]

* 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite
* 2025–26 AFC Challenge League
* 2025–26 AFC Women's Champions League

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Pre-determined format

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Asian Champions League to relaunch with fewer teams and more prize money in 2024–25 season". AP News. August 14, 2023.
2. ^ "History beckons for AFC Cup 2023/24 contenders as final edition of popular competition kicks off". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
3. ^ "AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League". the-AFC.
4. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
5. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking 2024". FootyRankings. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
6. ^ "SAFF approves mechanism for participation of Saudi clubs in AFC competitions". saudi gazette.
7. ^ "AFC Competitions Calendar (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026)" (PDF). the-AFC. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.

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