The AFC Champions League 2025–26 started on 12 August 2025 with 32 top clubs from across Asia.
The tournament features an eight-matchday group stage, followed by knockout rounds including the Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and the Final.
Each team competes in a round-robin format during the group stage, with squads carefully selected to balance experience and talent.
This article focuses on the schedule, matchdays, teams, and squads, providing a clear guide for supporters to track fixtures, plan viewing, and stay updated on Asia’s top club football competition.
AFC Champions League 2025/26 Schedule
| Date | Stage / Matchday | Home Team | Score | Away Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Chengdu Rongcheng | 3–0 | Bangkok United |
| 12 Aug 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Al-Duhail | 3–2 | Sepahan |
| 15 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Sharjah | 4–3 | Al-Gharafa |
| 15 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Al Wahda | 2–1 | Al-Ittihad |
| 15 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Al-Ahli | 4–2 | Nasaf |
| 15 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Al-Shorta | 1–1 | Al Sadd |
| 16 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Melbourne City FC | 0–2 | Sanfrecce |
| 16 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Gangwon | 2–1 | Shanghai Shenhua |
| 16 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Machida Zelvia | 1–1 | FC Seoul |
| 16 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Buriram United | 2–1 | Johor Darul Ta’zim |
| 16 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Shabab AlAhli | 1–1 | Tractor |
| 16 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD1 | Al-Hilal | 2–1 | Al-Duhail |
| 17 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Ulsan | 2–1 | Chengdu Rongcheng |
| 17 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Shanghai Port | 0–3 | Vissel Kobe |
| 29 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Nasaf | 2–3 | Al-Hilal |
| 29 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Tractor | 0–0 | Al Wahda |
| 29 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Al-Gharafa | 2–0 | Al-Shorta |
| 29 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Al-Duhail | 2–2 | Al-Ahli |
| 30 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Sanfrecce | 1–1 | Shanghai Port |
| 30 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | FC Seoul | 3–0 | Buriram United |
| 30 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Chengdu Rongcheng | 1–0 | Gangwon |
| 30 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Johor Darul Ta’zim | 0–0 | Machida Zelvia |
| 30 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Al Sadd | 1–1 | Sharjah |
| 30 Sept 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Al-Ittihad | 0–1 | Shabab AlAhli |
| 1 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Vissel Kobe | 1–0 | Melbourne City FC |
| 1 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD2 | Shanghai Shenhua | 1–1 | Ulsan |
| 20 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Al Wahda | 3–1 | Al-Duhail |
| 20 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Al-Shorta | 1–4 | Al-Ittihad |
| 20 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Sharjah | 0–5 | Tractor |
| 20 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Al-Ahli | 4–0 | Al-Gharafa |
| 21 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Melbourne City FC | 2–1 | Buriram United |
| 21 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Ulsan | 1–0 | Sanfrecce |
| 21 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Chengdu Rongcheng | 0–2 | Johor Darul Ta’zim |
| 21 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Shanghai Port | 0–2 | Machida Zelvia |
| 21 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Shabab AlAhli | 4–1 | Nasaf |
| 21 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Al-Hilal | 3–1 | Al Sadd |
| 22 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Gangwon | 4–3 | Vissel Kobe |
| 22 Oct 25 | Group Stage MD3 | Shanghai Shenhua | 2–0 | FC Seoul |
| 3 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Nasaf | 1–2 | Al Wahda |
| 3 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Al-Duhail | 4–1 | Shabab AlAhli |
| 3 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Tractor | 1–0 | Al-Shorta |
| 3 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Al-Gharafa | 1–2 | Al-Hilal |
| 4 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Sanfrecce | 1–0 | Gangwon |
| 4 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Machida Zelvia | 1–2 | Melbourne City FC |
| 4 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | FC Seoul | 0–0 | Chengdu Rongcheng |
| 4 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Buriram United | 2–0 | Shanghai Port |
| 4 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Al Sadd | 1–2 | Al-Ahli |
| 4 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Al-Ittihad | 3–0 | Sharjah |
| 5 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Vissel Kobe | 1–0 | Ulsan |
| 5 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD4 | Johor Darul Ta’zim | 3–1 | Shanghai Shenhua |
| 24 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Nasaf | 0–1 | Tractor |
| 24 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Shabab AlAhli | 2–0 | Al-Gharafa |
| 24 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Al-Duhail | 4–2 | Al-Ittihad |
| 24 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Al-Ahli | 0–1 | Sharjah |
| 25 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Melbourne City FC | 2–0 | Johor Darul Ta’zim |
| 25 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Shanghai Port | 1–3 | FC Seoul |
| 25 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Gangwon | 1–3 | Machida Zelvia |
| 25 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Chengdu Rongcheng | 1–1 | Sanfrecce |
| 25 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Al Wahda | 3–1 | Al Sadd |
| 25 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Al-Hilal | 4–0 | Al-Shorta |
| 26 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Ulsan | 0–0 | Buriram United |
| 26 Nov 25 | Group Stage MD5 | Shanghai Shenhua | 0–2 | Vissel Kobe |
| 9 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD6 | Machida Zelvia | 3–1 | Ulsan |
| 9 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD6 | Vissel Kobe | 2–2 | Chengdu Rongcheng |
| 9 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD6 | Johor Darul Ta’zim | 0–0 | Shanghai Port |
| 9 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD6 | Buriram United | 2–2 | Gangwon |
| 10 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD6 | FC Seoul | 1–1 | Melbourne City FC |
| 10 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD6 | Sanfrecce | 1–0 | Shanghai Shenhua |
| 22 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD7 | Sharjah | 0–1 | Al-Hilal |
| 22 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD7 | Tractor | 2–1 | Al-Duhail |
| 22 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD7 | Al-Shorta | 0–5 | Al-Ahli |
| 22 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD7 | Al-Gharafa | 1–0 | Al Wahda |
| 23 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD7 | Al Sadd | 4–2 | Shabab AlAhli |
| 23 Dec 25 | Group Stage MD7 | Al-Ittihad | 1–0 | Nasaf |
| 9 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Nasaf | – | Al-Shorta |
| 9 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Al Wahda | – | Al-Ahli |
| 9 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Shabab AlAhli | – | Al-Hilal |
| 9 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Al-Duhail | – | Sharjah |
| 10 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Sanfrecce | – | Johor Darul Ta’zim |
| 10 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Vissel Kobe | – | FC Seoul |
| 10 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Chengdu Rongcheng | – | Buriram United |
| 10 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Shanghai Shenhua | – | Machida Zelvia |
| 10 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Tractor | – | Al Sadd |
| 10 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Al-Ittihad | – | Al-Gharafa |
| 11 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Gangwon | – | Shanghai Port |
| 11 Feb 26 | Group Stage MD8 | Ulsan | – | Melbourne City FC |
Knockout Stages (Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, Final)
| Date | Stage | Home Team | Away Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Mar 26 | Round of 16 Leg 1 | TBD | TBD |
| 9 Mar 26 | Round of 16 Leg 2 | TBD | TBD |
| 16 Apr 26 | Quarter-finals | TBD | TBD |
| 20 Apr 26 | Semi-finals | TBD | TBD |
| 25 Apr 26 | Final | TBD | TBD |
AFC Champions League 2025/26 Teams And Squads
The 32 teams in the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite league stage are split across the West and East regions. These clubs qualified through their domestic leagues, cups, or by winning continental honours:
West Region Teams
- Al‑Ahli
- Al‑Ittihad
- Al‑Hilal
- Shabab Al Ahli
- Sharjah
- Al Wahda
- Al Sadd
- Al‑Gharafa
- Tractor
- Nasaf
- Al‑Shorta
- Al‑Duhail
- Sepahan
- Bangkok United
- Chengdu Rongcheng (as a qualifier)
East Region Teams
- Vissel Kobe
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima
- Machida Zelvia
- Ulsan Hyundai
- Gangwon FC
- FC Seoul
- Shanghai Port
- Shanghai Shenhua
- Buriram United
- Melbourne City FC
- Johor Darul Ta’zim
AFC Champions League 2025/26 Format
The 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite features 24 top clubs from Asia in a two-stage format with a League Stage and a Knockout Stage. In the League Stage, teams are split into the West and East regions, with 12 clubs in each.
Each club plays eight matches against different opponents—four at home and four away—with regional rules ensuring clubs from the same association do not meet. The top eight teams from each region advance to the knockout stage.
The Knockout Stage begins in March 2026 with the Round of 16, played over two legs within each team’s region.
From the Quarter-finals to the Final, eight teams compete in a centralised finals tournament in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Matches are single-leg ties with cross-regional pairings. The quarter-finals take place 16–18 April 2026, and the final is scheduled for 25 April 2026.
AFC Champions League 2025/26 Venue
The 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite matches are played at the home stadiums of participating clubs throughout Asia during the League (group) Stage.
Clubs host matches in their respective countries and cities as per the official match schedule.
The King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and the Prince Abdullah Al‑Faisal Sports City Stadium will host all seven final‑round matches, including the final on 25 April 2026.
For the Finals Tournament, from the quarter‑finals to the final, the competition moves to a centralised venue in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Where To Watch The AFC Champions League 2025/ 26
The 2025–26 AFC Champions League (Elite and Two) will be available to watch live across Asia and beyond. In India, FanCode is the primary streaming platform, offering coverage of all matches from September 2025 to May 2026.
Fans can follow the tournament from the group stages through to the final. In other regions, matches are accessible on platforms like the AFC Hub on YouTube and Mewatch in Singapore, providing live streaming and highlights.
Additionally, international viewers may have access through Paramount+ or Amazon Prime Video, depending on regional broadcast rights. This ensures fans worldwide can enjoy Asia’s top club football competition.
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Conclusion – The AFC Champions League 2025/ 26 Started On 12 August 2025
The AFC Champions League 2025–26 kicked off on 12 August 2025, bringing together 32 of Asia’s best clubs for an exciting season.
So far, clubs like Al-Hilal, Shabab Al-Ahli, and Melbourne City FC are showing strong form and leading their groups, making every match thrilling to watch. The competition is as unpredictable as ever, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Keep following the action as the tournament moves into the Round of 16 and centralised finals in Jeddah, with all eyes on the final showdown on 25 April 2026. Don’t miss a moment!
