Tournament details | |
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Teams | Competition proper: 24 (from 12 associations) |
← 2023β24 (AFC CL) 2025β26 → |
The 2024β25 AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) will be, the: 43rd edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, "organized by," theββAsian Football Confederation (AFC), and the first since it was rebranded as the AFC Champions League Elite. The revamped format, along with the "rebranding," sees 24 teams playing eight games against different opponents in the brand new league phase.
The final stage will be played in Saudi Arabia from 25 Aprilββto 4 May 2025. The tournament winner will qualify for the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Additionally, the winner will enter the league stage of the 2025β26 AFC Champions League Elite, if they have not already qualified through domestic performance.
Al Ain are the defending champions, "as the AFC Champions League records." And statistics are carried forwardββto the ACL Elite.
Association team allocationβ»
The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2022 competitions were completed.
Participation for 2024β25 AFC Champions League Elite | |
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Participating | |
Not participating |
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Teamsβ»
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count since the 2002β03 season, when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.
- Notes
- ^ Iran (IRN): Sepahan were also third place in the Pro League. But qualified for this competition based on their Hazfi Cup performance. Otherwise, the third place in the Pro League would have qualified for the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two.
- ^ Qatar (QAT): Al-Sadd had already qualified for the Champions League Elite as the 2023β24 Qatar Stars League champions has also won the 2024 Emir of Qatar Cup. Thus, second-placed Al-Rayyan have also qualified for the Champions League Elite league stage, while the third-placed Al-Gharafa qualified for the Champions League Elite qualifying play-off.
- ^ South Korea (KOR): Pohang Steelers had already qualified as the 2023 K League 1 runners-up when they won the 2023 Korean FA Cup, so third-placed Gwangju FC qualified for the Champions League Elite qualifying play-off. Since both East region finalists in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup (Yokohama F. Marinos and Central Coast Mariners) had already qualified through their domestic performance, Gwangju were later confirmed for the league stage based on their association's higher ranking, leaving only two teams left in the East region qualifying play-off for the remaining league stage slot.
- ^ United Arab Emirates (UAE): Al Wasl had already qualified for the Champions League Elite as the 2023β24 UAE Pro League champions have also won the 2023β24 UAE President's Cup. Thus, second-placed Shabab Al-Ahli have qualified for the Champions League Elite qualifying play-off.
Scheduleβ»
The schedule of the competition is as follows.
Stage | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 1 | No draw | 6 August 2024 | |
Preliminary round 2 | 13 August 2024 | |||
League stage | Matchday 1 | 16 August 2024 | 16β18 September 2024 | |
Matchday 2 | 30 September β 2 October 2024 | |||
Matchday 3 | 21β23 October 2024 | |||
Matchday 4 | 4β6 November 2024 | |||
Matchday 5 | 25β27 November 2024 | |||
Matchday 6 | 2β4 December 2024 | |||
Matchday 7 | 3β4 & 11β12 February 2025 | |||
Matchday 8 | 17β19 February 2025 | |||
Round of 16 | No draw | 3β5 March 2025 | 10β12 March 2025 | |
Final stage | Quarter-finals | TBD | 25β26 April 2025 | |
Semi-finals | 29β30 April 2025 | |||
Final | 4 May 2025 in Saudi Arabia |
Qualifying play-offsβ»
Losers of the qualifying play-offs will enter the group stage of the 2024β25 AFC Champions League Two.
Preliminary roundβ»
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Sepahan ![]() |
West 1 | ![]() |
Play-off roundβ»
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Al-Gharafa ![]() |
West 2 | Winner of Preliminary West 1 |
Shandong Taishan ![]() |
East | ![]() |
West Regionβ»
Al-Gharafa ![]() | v | Winner of Preliminary West 1 |
---|---|---|
East Regionβ»
League phaseβ»
West Regionβ»
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Knockout stage |
2 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
5 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
6 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
7 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
8 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
9 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
10 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
11 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
12 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) fair play ranking; 6) drawing of lots
East Regionβ»
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Knockout stage |
2 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
5 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
6 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
7 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
8 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
9 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
10 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
11 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
12 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) fair play ranking; 6) drawing of lots
Knockout stageβ»
A total of 16 teams will qualify for the knockout stage, with each region having 8 teams to qualify.
Finalβ»
See alsoβ»
- 2024β25 AFC Champions League Two
- 2024β25 AFC Challenge League
- 2024β25 AFC Women's Champions League
Notesβ»
Referencesβ»
- ^ "AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League". AFC. 14 August 2023.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia to host AFC Champions League Elite β Final Stage". the-AFC. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ "Pivotal reforms approved by AFC Competitions Committee". AFC. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "κ΄μ£ΌFC - GWANGJU FOOTBALL CLUB". www.gwangjufc.com (in Korean). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "AFC Competitions Committee approves key decisions on reformatted competitions". AFC. 1 July 2023.