Overview
- The Asian Football Confederation held simultaneous draws in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday that finalized groups and a full calendar for both AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League 2.
- The Elite competition was expanded from 24 to a 32-team league phase with opening rounds scheduled for 14–15 September 2026 and a multi-round league programme running into February 2027 before knockouts.
- AFC Champions League 2 will stage a 32-club home-and-away group stage from 15 September to 9 December 2026 with knockouts in February–May 2027 and a final pencilled in for 15 May 2027.
- The Elite draw produced a cluster of high-profile Gulf and Arab fixtures, notably Al-Hilal v Al-Ain, Al-Nassr v Al-Sadd and Al-Ahli v Shabab Al-Ahli, while Saudi clubs were placed on similar West-region paths against Qatari, Emirati and Uzbek sides.
- ACL2 features five former continental winners including Al-Faisaly, Al-Muharraq, Al-Seeb, Al-Kuwait and Nasaf, a mix that underlines the depth of the second tier and raises interest in early group-stage results.