Overview
- Al-Ahli beat Machida 1–0 after extra time in Jeddah on Saturday to lift the Asia Champions League Elite (ACLE) trophy again.
- Machida gained a man advantage in the second half after Al-Ahli's Hawsawi was sent off for a headbutt, yet the J1 side could not find a goal as objects rained onto the pitch from the stands.
- The deadlock broke in the first period of extra time when Al-Ahli converted a cross, handing Machida their first conceded goal of the knockout rounds.
- Al-Ahli secured back-to-back continental crowns and the reported $10 million winner’s purse, while Machida earned a reported $4 million as runner-up.
- The defeat marks a third straight continental final in which a Japanese club has fallen to a Middle Eastern opponent, reinforcing a recent regional power shift.