The AFC Champions League in a new guise... a step towards internationalism
The Asian Football Confederation announced a package of fundamental amendments to the elite AFC Champions League tournament, in a move aimed at developing the level of competition and enhancing the marketing value of the continental competition.
The changes include increasing the number of participating clubs to 32 teams instead of 24, with an equal distribution between the West and East regions of 16 clubs for each region, which opens the way for wider participation of Asian clubs.
This expansion is expected to contribute to raising the quality of the tournament. Competition, in addition to supporting professionalism within local leagues, by giving a greater number of teams the opportunity to appear on the continent.
The new system also includes amending the qualification mechanism for the round of 16, where the top six teams qualify directly, while the clubs occupying positions from seventh to tenth will play in playoff matches to determine the rest of the qualifiers.
The seventh and eighth place holders will receive the preference to host playoff matches, in recognition of their results during the league stage, which gives each point additional importance in the race. Ranking.
With regard to the calendar, it was decided to postpone the implementation of the playoff stage during the 2026-2027 season, with it starting in subsequent seasons, with the aim of ensuring a better organization of dates and avoiding pressure on the clubs.
These amendments are still awaiting final approval from the Executive Office, amid expectations that they will represent a qualitative step towards strengthening the championship’s technical and marketing status on the level of the Asian continent.
