English Premier League
AFC Champions League Elite 2026-27: fixtures, standings and how to watch
The AFC Champions League Elite 2026-27 will begin with 32 clubs competing for the continent’s top prize, after the Asian Football Confederation expanded the league phase from 24 teams.
The tournament is expected to attract a global audience of more than one billion people, with clubs from across West and East Asia involved. Al Ahli Saudi have won the first two editions of the AFC Champions League Elite and will face strong competition as they attempt to defend their title.
The AFC announced a major restructuring of its club competitions in December 2022. The leading competition’s league phase was reduced from 40 teams to 24, split equally between the West and East regions, with 12 clubs in each section.
Under that format, each side played eight matches against eight different opponents from its own region – four at home and four away. The top eight clubs in each region advanced to the knockout stage. The round of 16 was played over two legs, while the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were staged as single matches at a neutral venue in one host country.
In August 2023, the AFC confirmed that the format would start in 2024-25, alongside the competition’s official renaming as the AFC Champions League Elite. The confederation also said the historical records and statistics of the AFC Champions League would remain valid and would count towards the official record of the AFC Champions League Elite.
From 2026-27, the league phase has been expanded to 32 clubs, with 16 teams in each of the West and East regions. The change is designed to increase the number of matches, strengthen competition and give more clubs the opportunity to take part in Asia’s leading club tournament.
The preliminary phase began on 11 August 2026. The league phase runs from 14 September until 17 February 2027, with the round of 16 scheduled for March. The remaining knockout rounds are due to take place at the end of April, culminating in the final on 1 May.
West region
The 16 West-region clubs listed in the starting table are Al Ahli Saudi, Al Ain, Al Gharafa, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, Al Nassr, Al Qadsiah, Al Quwa Al Jawiya, Al Sadd, Al Shamal, Al Wasl, Esteghlal, Pakhtakor, Neftchi, Shabab Al Ahli and Tractor. All begin with zero matches played, zero wins, draws and defeats, zero goals for and against, a goal difference of zero and no points.
The opening round is scheduled for 14 and 15 September 2026. Neftchi face Al Quwa Al Jawiya at 16:45 Saudi time and 17:45 UAE time at Esteghlal; Al Shamal play Al Ittihad at 19:00 and 20:00 at Al Bayt; Shabab Al Ahli meet Tractor at the same time at Al Rashid Stadium. Al Qadsiah host Al Wasl at 21:15 and 22:15 at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium, while Esteghlal play Al Sadd at Basra International Stadium. Al Ahli Saudi welcome Pakhtakor at Alinma Stadium at the same time. On 15 September, Al Ain play Al Nassr at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, with Al Hilal facing Al Gharafa at Kingdom Arena.
Round two takes place on 12 and 13 October. The fixtures are Pakhtakor v Al Qadsiah, Al Wasl v Al Ahli Saudi, Tractor v Al Shamal, Al Gharafa v Esteghlal, Al Nassr v Neftchi, Al Quwa Al Jawiya v Al Ain, Al Sadd v Al Hilal and Al Ittihad v Shabab Al Ahli. The matches are spread between Pakhtakor Stadium, Zabeel Stadium, Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Al-Awwal Park, Basra International Stadium, Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and Alinma Stadium.
The third round, on 26 and 27 October, features Neftchi v Al Ittihad, Al Ain v Tractor, Al Ahli Saudi v Al Gharafa, Al Qadsiah v Al Sadd, Al Nassr v Al Wasl, Al Quwa Al Jawiya v Pakhtakor, Shabab Al Ahli v Esteghlal and Al Shamal v Al Hilal.
On 2 and 3 November, the fourth round brings Pakhtakor v Al Nassr, Al Sadd v Al Ahli Saudi, Al Wasl v Al Quwa Al Jawiya, Tractor v Neftchi, Al Gharafa v Al Qadsiah, Al Ittihad v Al Ain, Esteghlal v Al Shamal and Al Hilal v Shabab Al Ahli.
The fifth round is scheduled for 23 and 24 November: Neftchi v Al Hilal, Al Shamal v Al Ahli Saudi, Tractor v Al Wasl, Al Ain v Esteghlal, Al Quwa Al Jawiya v Al Gharafa, Al Ittihad v Pakhtakor, Shabab Al Ahli v Al Qadsiah and Al Nassr v Al Sadd.
The sixth round follows on 7 and 8 December, with Pakhtakor v Tractor, Al Qadsiah v Al Shamal, Al Wasl v Al Ittihad, Al Sadd v Al Quwa Al Jawiya, Al Hilal v Al Ain, Esteghlal v Neftchi, Al Gharafa v Al Nassr and Al Ahli Saudi v Shabab Al Ahli.
After the winter break, the seventh round is played on 8 and 9 February 2027. The matches are Pakhtakor v Esteghlal, Al Ain v Al Qadsiah, Tractor v Al Sadd, Al Ittihad v Al Gharafa, Al Nassr v Al Shamal, Al Quwa Al Jawiya v Shabab Al Ahli, Neftchi v Al Ahli Saudi and Al Wasl v Al Hilal.
The final West-region round is on 15 February. Al Qadsiah face Neftchi, Al Shamal meet Al Quwa Al Jawiya, Al Hilal play Pakhtakor, Al Gharafa take on Tractor, Shabab Al Ahli face Al Nassr, Esteghlal play Al Wasl, Al Sadd meet Al Ittihad and Al Ahli Saudi host Al Ain. All eight matches are scheduled for 22:15 Saudi time and 23:15 UAE time.
East region
The East-region table begins with Buriram United, Kashima Antlers, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Shanghai Port, Daejeon Hana Citizen, Vissel Kobe, Newcastle Jets, Johor Darul Ta’zim, Porto, Beijing Guoan, Pohang Steelers, Kashiwa Reysol, Cong An Ha Noi, Kyoto Sanga, Ratchaburi and Gamba Osaka. As in the West, every team starts with no matches, goals or points recorded.
The first East-region round is scheduled for 15 and 16 September 2026. Ratchaburi play Shanghai Port and Gamba Osaka meet Cong An Ha Noi at 13:00 Saudi time and 14:00 UAE time. Daejeon Hana Citizen face Kyoto Sanga, while Kashima Antlers play Newcastle Jets. Beijing Guoan meet Pohang Steelers and Johor Darul Ta’zim face Buriram United at 15:15 Saudi time and 16:15 UAE time. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors play Kashiwa Reysol on 16 September, followed by Porto v Vissel Kobe.
The second round, on 13 and 14 October, includes Newcastle Jets v Gamba Osaka, Shanghai Port v Daejeon Hana Citizen, Pohang Steelers v Johor Darul Ta’zim, Kyoto Sanga v Ratchaburi, Cong An Ha Noi v Kashima Antlers, Buriram United v Beijing Guoan, Kashiwa Reysol v Porto and Vissel Kobe v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
The third round takes place on 27 and 28 October. Its fixtures are Daejeon Hana Citizen v Vissel Kobe, Kyoto Sanga v Newcastle Jets, Johor Darul Ta’zim v Porto, Shanghai Port v Cong An Ha Noi, Ratchaburi v Kashiwa Reysol, Beijing Guoan v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Gamba Osaka v Buriram United and Kashima Antlers v Pohang Steelers.
The remaining East-region schedule is as follows:
– 3-4 November: Newcastle Jets v Shanghai Port, Kashiwa Reysol v Daejeon Hana Citizen, Vissel Kobe v Ratchaburi, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Johor Darul Ta’zim, Cong An Ha Noi v Kyoto Sanga, Porto v Beijing Guoan, Pohang Steelers v Gamba Osaka and Buriram United v Kashima Antlers.
– 24-25 November: Newcastle Jets v Kashiwa Reysol, Kyoto Sanga v Pohang Steelers, Daejeon Hana Citizen v Beijing Guoan, Cong An Ha Noi v Vissel Kobe, Ratchaburi v Johor Darul Ta’zim, Shanghai Port v Buriram United, Gamba Osaka v Porto and Kashima Antlers v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
– 1-2 December: Pohang Steelers v Shanghai Port, Kashiwa Reysol v Cong An Ha Noi, Vissel Kobe v Newcastle Jets, Buriram United v Kyoto Sanga, Beijing Guoan v Ratchaburi, Johor Darul Ta’zim v Daejeon Hana Citizen, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Gamba Osaka and Porto v Kashima Antlers.
– 9-10 February 2027: Newcastle Jets v Johor Darul Ta’zim, Kyoto Sanga v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Daejeon Hana Citizen v Kashima Antlers, Shanghai Port v Porto, Cong An Ha Noi v Beijing Guoan, Ratchaburi v Gamba Osaka, Kashiwa Reysol v Buriram United and Vissel Kobe v Pohang Steelers.
– 16 February: Pohang Steelers v Kashiwa Reysol, Gamba Osaka v Daejeon Hana Citizen, Beijing Guoan v Newcastle Jets, Porto v Kyoto Sanga, Johor Darul Ta’zim v Cong An Ha Noi, Buriram United v Vissel Kobe, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Shanghai Port and Kashima Antlers v Ratchaburi.
Broadcast information
In the Middle East, beIN SPORTS holds the exclusive rights to the AFC Champions League Elite 2026-27. The network has allocated beIN SPORTS HD 1 and beIN SPORTS HD 2 for live coverage.
The source also states that Al Kass channels are showing the 2025-26 edition, specifically on Al Kass 5 and Al Kass 6. Online viewers can use the TOD TV application to watch live coverage.
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Al Hilal are the most successful Asian club in the history of the AFC Champions League, having won the competition four times.
