AFC Champions League Elite facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
AFC Champions League Elite

Organising body	AFC
Founded	1967; 58 years ago (1967) (as Asian Champion Club Tournament)
Region	Asia
Number of teams	24 (league stage)
Qualifier for	FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Intercontinental Cup
Related competitions	AFC Champions League Two (2nd tier) AFC Challenge League (3rd tier)
Current champions	Al-Ahli (1st title)
Most successful club(s)	Al-Hilal (4 titles)

The AFC Champions League Elite (also called ACL Elite) is a big annual football competition. It is organized by the AFC. The best football clubs from across Asia play in this tournament. It is the most important club competition in Asian football. Teams that win their national leagues, and sometimes other top teams, get to play.

The competition started in 1967 as the Asian Champion Club Tournament. In 2002, it changed its name to AFC Champions League. This happened after three older tournaments joined together. In 2024, it was renamed again to its current name, AFC Champions League Elite.

A total of 24 clubs play in the main part of the competition. These teams are split into East and West regions. The team that wins the AFC Champions League Elite gets to play in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. They also get a spot in the next AFC Champions League Elite season.

The club with the most wins is Al-Hilal, with four titles. Al-Ahli are the current champions. They won the 2025 final by beating Kawasaki Frontale 2–0.

History of the Tournament

Winners

Season	Winners
Asian Champion Club Tournament
1967	Hapoel Tel Aviv
1969	Maccabi Tel Aviv
1970	Taj Tehran
1971	Maccabi Tel Aviv (2)
1972	Cancelled
1973–1984: Not held
Asian Club Championship
1985–86	Daewoo Royals
1986	Furukawa Electric
1987	Yomiuri FC
1988–89	Al-Sadd
1989–90	Liaoning
1990–91	Esteghlal (2)
1991	Al-Hilal
1992–93	PAS Tehran
1993–94	Thai Farmers Bank
1994–95	Thai Farmers Bank (2)
1995	Ilhwa Chunma
1996–97	Pohang Steelers
1997–98	Pohang Steelers (2)
1998–99	Júbilo Iwata
1999–2000	Al-Hilal (2)
2000–01	Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2001–02	Suwon Samsung Bluewings (2)
AFC Champions League
2002–03	Al Ain
2004	Al-Ittihad
2005	Al-Ittihad (2)
2006	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2007	Urawa Red Diamonds
2008	Gamba Osaka
2009	Pohang Steelers (3)
2010	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (2)
2011	Al-Sadd (2)
2012	Ulsan Hyundai
2013	Guangzhou Evergrande
2014	Western Sydney Wanderers
2015	Guangzhou Evergrande (2)
2016	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2)
2017	Urawa Red Diamonds (2)
2018	Kashima Antlers
2019	Al-Hilal (3)
2020	Ulsan Hyundai (2)
2021	Al-Hilal (4)
2022	Urawa Red Diamonds (3)
2023–24	Al Ain (2)
AFC Champions League Elite
2024–25	Al-Ahli

Early Years: Asian Champion Club Tournament (1967–1972)

The AFC first thought about creating a tournament for national champions in 1963. They wanted a competition similar to the European Cup in Europe. The tournament began in 1967 as the Asian Champion Club Tournament. It had different ways of playing in its first few years.

In the early tournaments, some clubs refused to play against Israeli clubs. For example, in 1970, a Lebanese club would not play against Hapoel Tel Aviv. In 1971, an Iraqi club refused to play Maccabi Tel Aviv three times. Because of these issues, the AFC stopped the competition for 14 years after 1972.

Return as the Asian Club Championship (1985–2002)

Asia's main club tournament came back in 1985. It was called the Asian Club Championship. In 1990, the AFC added another tournament, the Asian Cup Winners' Cup. This was for teams that won their national cup competitions. Then, in 1995, the Asian Super Cup was introduced. This match was played between the winners of the Asian Club Championship and the Asian Cup Winners' Cup.

AFC Champions League Era (2002–2024)

Japan's Kashima Antlers and Singapore's Warriors FC playing a group stage game in 2009.

In the 2002–03 season, the Asian Club Championship, Asian Cup Winners' Cup, and Asian Super Cup all combined. They became the AFC Champions League. The first team to win under this new name was Al-Ain. They beat BEC Tero Sasana 2–1. In 2004, the tournament schedule changed to run from March to November.

In the group stage, 28 clubs were divided into seven groups of four. Teams from East Asia and West Asia were kept separate. This helped reduce travel costs. The games were played home and away. The seven group winners and the defending champions moved on to the quarter-finals. The later stages were played over two games, with rules like away goals and penalty shoot-outs to decide ties.

Tournament Growth

In 2005, clubs from Syria joined the competition. Two years later, Australian clubs also joined. The Champions League grew to 32 clubs in 2009. The top ten leagues in Asia got direct entry spots. Each country could have up to four teams. This depended on how strong their league was and other rules set by the AFC. The AFC checks these rules every two years.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and fans watching the 2018 final at Azadi Stadium.

The old format had 16 teams move to the knockout stage. Group winners played against runners-up. Teams from the same region played each other until the final. Since 2013, the final has also been played over two games, one at each team's home stadium.

In 2021, the group stage got even bigger, with 40 teams. Both the West and East regions had five groups of four teams. The top teams from each group and the best runners-up moved to the next round. These games were still regional until the final.

In 2022, the AFC Champions League changed its schedule. It started running from autumn to spring, like many European leagues. Also, the rule for foreign players changed. Teams could now have five foreign players and one Asian foreign player in a match.

Women in Iranian Football

For many years, women in Iran were not allowed to watch football matches in stadiums. This was a big issue that got attention from international media. In 2019, Iranian women were allowed to watch football in stadiums for the first time. However, this did not always include AFC Champions League games. FIFA, the world football body, had encouraged Iran to allow women into stadiums. The AFC also looked into this to ensure women could attend matches without limits when Iranian clubs played.

AFC Champions League Elite (2024–25 Onwards)

On December 23, 2022, the AFC announced big changes to its club football structure. The top competition would shrink from 40 teams to 24 teams. These 24 teams are divided into East and West regions, with 12 teams in each. Each team plays eight other teams from its region.

The top eight teams from each region move to the knockout stage. Only the Round of 16 is played over two games. All matches from the quarter-finals onwards are played as single games at one central location. This new format started with the 2024–25 season. The competition's name also changed to AFC Champions League Elite. All past records from the AFC Champions League are carried over to the ACL Elite. Saudi Arabia was chosen to host the final stages for the first two seasons.

Tournament Format

How Teams Qualify

Map of AFC countries whose teams reached the group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite      AFC member country that has been represented in the group stage      AFC member country that has not been represented in the group stage

For the 2024–25 tournament, the AFC Champions League Elite uses a league stage format with 24 teams. Before this, there are qualifying matches for teams that do not get a direct spot. Teams are still divided into East and West zones.

The number of teams each country can send is decided every year. The AFC Competitions Committee sets the rules. These rules look at things like how popular a league is and the quality of its stadiums. Countries with higher rankings get more spots in the competition.

How the Tournament is Played

The main part of the tournament starts with a league stage of 24 teams. These teams are split into two leagues: East and West. Each team plays against eight different teams from its league. Four of these games are at home, and four are away.

The top eight teams from each league move on to the Round of 16. In this stage, clubs from the same region play each other. They play two games, one home and one away. The team with the most goals after both games moves on. If scores are tied, they play extra time. If it's still tied, they have a penalty shoot-out.

The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final matches involve teams from different regions. These games are played as single matches at a central location.

Team Allocation by Country

Teams from 24 AFC countries have reached the group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite. The table below shows how many teams each country has sent. An asterisk means at least one team was knocked out in the qualifying rounds. 32 AFC countries have had teams try to qualify. Countries that have never reached the group stage are not listed.

Associations	Entrants
	2002–03	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023–24	2024–25
East Asia
Australia	Part of OFC				2	2	2	2	2	3	1*	3	2*	2*	3	2*	2*	3	0	2*	1	1
China PR	2	2	2	2	2	2	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	4	3*	4	4	4	2*	2	3*	2*
Hong Kong	0*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0*	0*	1*	1*	0*	0*	1	1	1*	0
Indonesia	0*	2	2	0	2	0	1*	1*	1*	0*	0	0	0*	0	0	0*	0*	0*	0	0	0*	0
Japan	2	2	2	2	2	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3*	4	4	4	3
South Korea	2	2	2	2	3	2	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3
Malaysia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0*	0*	0*	1*	1*	1	1	1	1
Philippines	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0*	0*	0*	2	1*	1	0
Singapore	0*	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0*	0*	0*	0*	0*	0*	0*	1	1	1	0
Thailand	2	2	2	0	1	2	0*	0*	0*	1*	2	1*	1*	1*	1*	1*	1*	1*	4	2*	3*	1*
Vietnam	0*	2	2	2	1	2	0	0*	0	0	0	0*	1*	1*	0*	0*	0*	0*	1	1	1*	0
Total	8	12	12	8	13	13	16	16	15	15	15	16	16	16	16	16	16	16	20	19	20	11
West Asia
Bahrain	0*	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0*	0	0	0*	0	0*	0*	0	0	0
India	0*	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0*	0*	0	0	0*	0*	0*	0*	0*	0*	0*	1	1	1	0
Iran	2	2	2	2	1	2	4	4	4	3*	3*	4	4	3*	4	4	3*	4	4	2	3*	2*
Iraq	1*	2	2	2	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0	0	0	0	1*	1*	2*	1*	1	1
Jordan	0*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0*	0*	0*	0*	0*	0*	1	1	1*	0
Kuwait	0*	1	2	2	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0*	0	0	0	0*	0*	0*	0	0	0
Qatar	1*	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	4	4	4	2*	2*	2*	4	3*	2*	3*	4	2*	2*
Saudi Arabia	1*	2	3	3	2	2	4	4	4	3*	4	4	4	4	4	2	4	4	3*	4	4	3
Syria	0*	0	2	2	2	2	0	0*	0*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0	0
Tajikistan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0*	0*	1	1	1	0
Turkmenistan	1*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0
United Arab Emirates	1*	3	2	2	2	2	4	4	4	4	4	3*	2*	3*	4	4	3*	4	3*	3*	2*	1*
Uzbekistan	1*	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3*	2*	1*	4	4	2*	2*	2*	1*	2	2	4	1
Total	8	14	17	17	15	16	16	16	17	17	17	16	16	16	16	16	16	16	20	20	20	11
Total
Finals	16	26	29	25	28	29	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	40	39	40	22
Qualifying	53	26	29	25	28	29	35	37	36	37	35	47	49	45	47	46	51	52	45	46	53	27

Prize Money for Winners

The tournament's trophy, used until 2024.

Starting with the 2024–25 season, here is how the prize money is given out:

Marketing and Sponsors

Tournament Sponsors

The AFC Champions League Elite has many big companies that help sponsor it. These are called "Official Global Partners" and "Official Global Supporters."

Official Global Partners

• Neom
• Qatar Airways
• Visit Saudi

Official Global Supporters

• Kelme
• Midea
• Visa Inc.

Video Game

The AFC Champions League is also featured in video games. Konami holds the current license for the tournament in its eFootball series. This license includes the teams that play in the competition.

Records and Statistics

Club Performances

Performances in the Asian Club Championship and AFC Champions League Elite by club

Club	Title(s)	Runners-up	Seasons won	Seasons runner-up
Al-Hilal	4	5	1991, 1999–2000, 2019, 2021	1986, 1987, 2014, 2017, 2022
Pohang Steelers	3	1	1996–97, 1997–98, 2009	2021
Urawa Red Diamonds	3	1	2007, 2017, 2022	2019
Esteghlal	2	2	1970, 1990–91	1991, 1998–99
Seongnam FC	2	2	1995, 2010	1996–97, 2004
Al Ain	2	2	2002–03, 2023–24	2005, 2016
Al-Ittihad	2	1	2004, 2005	2009
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	2	1	2006, 2016	2011
Maccabi Tel Aviv	2	0	1969, 1971	—
Al-Sadd	2	0	1988–89, 2011	—
Thai Farmers Bank	2	0	1993–94, 1994–95	—
Suwon Samsung Bluewings	2	0	2000–01, 2001–02	—
Ulsan HD	2	0	2012, 2020	—
Guangzhou	2	0	2013, 2015	—
Júbilo Iwata	1	2	1998–99	1999–2000, 2000–01
Al-Ahli	1	2	2024–25	1985–86, 2012
Hapoel Tel Aviv	1	1	1967	1970
Liaoning	1	1	1989–90	1990–91
Busan IPark	1	0	1985–86	—
JEF United Chiba	1	0	1986	—
Tokyo Verdy	1	0	1987	—
PAS Tehran	1	0	1992–93	—
Gamba Osaka	1	0	2008	—
Western Sydney Wanderers	1	0	2014	—
Kashima Antlers	1	0	2018	—
Yokohama F. Marinos	0	2	—	1989–90, 2023–24
FC Seoul	0	2	—	2001–02, 2013
Persepolis	0	2	—	2018, 2020
Selangor	0	1	—	1967
Yangzee	0	1	—	1969
Aliyat Al-Shorta	0	1	—	1971
Al-Rasheed	0	1	—	1988–89
Al-Shabab	0	1	—	1992–93
Oman Club	0	1	—	1993–94
Al-Arabi	0	1	—	1994–95
Al-Nassr	0	1	—	1995
Dalian Shide	0	1	—	1997–98
Police Tero	0	1	—	2002–03
Al-Karamah	0	1	—	2006
Sepahan	0	1	—	2007
Adelaide United	0	1	—	2008
Zob Ahan	0	1	—	2010
Shabab Al-Ahli	0	1	—	2015
Kawasaki Frontale	0	1	—	2024–25

Nation Performances

Performances in finals by nation

Nation	Titles	Runners-up	Total
South Korea	12	7	19
Japan	8	6	14
Saudi Arabia	7	10	17
Iran	3	6	9
China	3	2	5
Israel	3	1	4
United Arab Emirates	2	3	5
Qatar	2	1	3
Thailand	2	1	3
Australia	1	1	2
Iraq	0	2	2
Malaysia	0	1	1
Oman	0	1	1
Syria	0	1	1

Region Performances

Note: Israeli clubs won in 1967, 1969, and 1971, but are not included in this table.

Awards

Most Valuable Player

Year	Player	Club	Ref.
1996–97	An Ik-soo	Pohang Steelers
1997–98	Ahmed Al-Dokhi	Al Hilal
1998–99	Seydou Traoré	Al-Ain
1999–2000	Sérgio Ricardo	Al Hilal
2000–01	Zoltan Sabo	Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2001–02	N/A
2002–03	Therdsak Chaiman	BEC Tero Sasana
2004	Redha Tukar	Al-Ittihad
2005	Mohammed Noor	Al-Ittihad
2006	Choi Jin-cheul	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2007	Yuichiro Nagai	Urawa Red Diamonds
2008	Yasuhito Endō	Gamba Osaka
2009	No Byung-jun	Pohang Steelers
2010	Sasa Ognenovski	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
2011	Lee Dong-gook	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
2012	Lee Keun-ho	Ulsan Hyundai
2013	Muriqui	Guangzhou Evergrande
2014	Ante Covic	Western Sydney Wanderers
2015	Ricardo Goulart	Guangzhou Evergrande
2016	Omar Abdulrahman	Al-Ain
2017	Yōsuke Kashiwagi	Urawa Red Diamonds
2018	Yuma Suzuki	Kashima Antlers
2019	Bafétimbi Gomis	Al-Hilal
2020	Yoon Bit-garam	Ulsan Hyundai
2021	Salem Al-Dawsari	Al-Hilal
2022	Hiroki Sakai	Urawa Red Diamonds
2023–24	Soufiane Rahimi	Al Ain
2024–25	Roberto Firmino	Al-Ahli

Top Scorers

Year	Player	Club	Goals
2002–03	Hao Haidong	Dalian Shide	9
2004	Kim Do-hoon	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma	9
2005	Mohamed Kallon	Al-Ittihad	6
2006	Magno Alves	Gamba Osaka	8
2007	Mota	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma	7
2008	Nantawat Tansopa	Krung Thai Bank	9
2009	Leandro	Gamba Osaka	10
2010	Jose Mota	Suwon Samsung Bluewings	9
2011	Lee Dong-gook	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	9
2012	Ricardo Oliveira	Al-Jazira	12
2013	Muriqui	Guangzhou Evergrande	13
2014	Asamoah Gyan	Al-Ain	12
2015	Ricardo Goulart	Guangzhou Evergrande	8
2016	Adriano	FC Seoul	13
2017	Omar Kharbin	Al-Hilal	10
2018	Baghdad Bounedjah	Al-Sadd	13
2019	Bafétimbi Gomis	Al-Hilal	11
2020	Abderrazak Hamdallah	Al-Nassr	7
2021	Michael Olunga	Al-Duhail	9
2022	Edmilson Junior	Al-Duhail	8
2023–24	Soufiane Rahimi	Al Ain	13
2024–25	Salem Al-Dawsari	Al-Hilal	10

See also

• AFC Champions League Two
• AFC Challenge League
• Continental football championships
• List of association football competitions