June 10 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) today confirmed the list of participating clubs for the 2025/26 campaigns of its three men’s competitions: AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite), AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) and AFC Challenge League (ACGL).
The second season of the AFC’s revamped club competitions will see 85 teams from 37 Member Associations (MAs) involved in international competition.
The Preliminary Stage will be played across August 12 and 13, 2025, while the draws for the ACL Elite League Stage and ACL Two Group Stage will be held on August 15, with the ACGL Group Stage draw to be conducted on August 28.
ACL Elite
The West and East regions will each have 13 teams from six MAs. Each region has 11 clubs entering the League Stage, scheduled for kick-off on September 15, and two indirect slots for entry into the Preliminary Stage.
ACL Two
Of the three club competitions, the ACL Two has the most teams entered. 29 sides – 14 from the West region and 15 from the East (including the clubs eliminated from the ACL Elite Preliminary Stage of each region) – will start at the Group Stage, with six more teams to occupy the indirect slots and do battle in the Preliminary Stage.
ACGL
The 26-team cast competition will see five entries from the West region and three from the East in the Group Stage that begins on October 25.
A further 10 indirect entries will be involved in the Preliminary Stage (West), with eight clubs doing likewise in the East.
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