AFC Champions League Two facts for kids
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| Organising body | AFC |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 (as AFC Cup) |
| Region | Asia |
| Number of teams | 32 (group stage) |
| Qualifier for | AFC Champions League Elite |
| Related competitions | AFC Champions League Elite (1st tier) AFC Challenge League (3rd tier) |
| Current champions |  Sharjah (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) |  Al-Kuwait Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya(3 titles each) |
The AFC Champions League Two (also called ACL Two or ACL2) is a big yearly football competition for clubs in Asia. The AFC organizes it. It's the second most important club football tournament in Asia. It ranks below the AFC Champions League Elite and above the AFC Challenge League.
This competition started in 2004. Back then, it was called the AFC Cup. It was mainly for clubs from countries that didn't get direct spots in the top-tier AFC Champions League. In 2024, the competition changed its name to AFC Champions League Two. Its rules also changed to make it more competitive. More clubs from higher-ranked Asian countries could join. The prize money for winning also increased.
Clubs get to play in this competition by doing well in their country's football leagues and cup tournaments. Teams from the top 12 countries in East Asia and West Asia can join. These rankings are based on how well countries' clubs do in AFC competitions. The best club from each of the top 6 countries in each region that didn't qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite gets a spot. Countries ranked 7 to 12 in each region send their top club(s) directly to the AFC Champions League Two.
The team that wins the AFC Champions League Two gets a chance to play in the next AFC Champions League Elite season. This happens if they haven't already qualified through their own country's league. The current champions are Sharjah from the UAE. They won their first title in the 2024–25 season. Al-Kuwait and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya are the most successful clubs. They have each won three titles. Clubs from Kuwait have won four titles in total, which is more than any other country.
Contents
History of the Tournament
The AFC Cup began in 2004. It was created as a second-level competition for the AFC Champions League. Fourteen countries that were still developing in football took part in the first tournament. Eighteen teams were chosen to play. The winners and three runner-up teams would then move on to the knockout stage. Al-Jaish from Syria won the first AFC Cup. They beat another Syrian team, Al-Wahda, because they scored more "away goals."
In 2005, 18 teams from nine countries played. Countries could still choose to send one or two teams. Syrian teams then left the AFC Cup for four years to try for the AFC Champions League. Al-Faisaly from Jordan won the final against Nejmeh. After this, Jordanian teams won the next two AFC Cup seasons. Bahrain also joined the league. Bangladesh moved to the AFC President's Cup, which was a lower-level tournament, until it ended in 2014.
Al-Muharraq from Bahrain won in 2008. This was the last final played over two matches. After that, the final became a single match, and it has stayed that way.
On December 23, 2022, the AFC announced big changes to its club competitions. These changes started from the 2024–25 season. A new second-tier tournament, the AFC Champions League Two, was introduced. Also, a new third-tier competition, the AFC Challenge League, was launched.
On May 24, 2024, the AFC said that all past records and statistics from the AFC Cup would be carried over. This means the history of the AFC Cup is now part of the AFC Champions League Two.
| Season | Winners |
|---|---|
| AFC Cup | |
| 2004 |  Al-Jaish |
| 2005 |  Al-Faisaly |
| 2006 | Al-Faisaly (2) |
| 2007 | Shabab Al-Ordon |
| 2008 |  Al-Muharraq |
| 2009 | Kuwait SC |
| 2010 | Al-Ittihad Aleppo |
| 2011 |  Nasaf Qarshi |
| 2012 | Kuwait SC (2) |
| 2013 | Kuwait SC (3) |
| 2014 | Qadsia |
| 2015 |  Johor Darul Ta'zim |
| 2016 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
| 2017 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (2) |
| 2018 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (3) |
| 2019 |  Al-Ahed |
| 2020 | Cancelled |
| 2021 | Al-Muharraq (2) |
| 2022 |  Al-Seeb |
| 2023–24 |  Central Coast Mariners |
| AFC Champions League Two | |
| 2024–25 | Sharjah |
How the Tournament Works
The AFC Champions League Two has a specific format. For the 2017 AFC Cup, 36 teams played in the group stage. Twelve teams were from West Asia, and 12 from ASEAN (Southeast Asia). Four teams each came from East Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia. The final match is played as a single game.
Prize Money for Teams
Teams in the AFC Champions League Two can win a lot of money. Here's how much prize money was given out for the 2024–25 season, in US dollars:
| Round | Teams | Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per team | Total | ||
| Final (Champions) | 1 | $2.5 million | |
| Final (Runners-up) | 1 | $1 million | |
| Semi-finals | 4 | $240,000 | $960,000 |
| Quarter-finals | 8 | $160,000 | $1,280,000 |
| Round of 16 | 16 | $80,000 | $1,280,000 |
| Group stage | 32 | $300,000 | $9,600,000 |
| Total | 32 | $16,620,000 | |
Tournament Sponsors
Many big companies help sponsor the AFC Champions League Two. These are often global companies, not just one main sponsor like in some national leagues.
Official Global Partners
- Neom
- Qatar Airways
- Visit Saudi
Official Global Supporters
- Konami
- Midea
- Molten
- Tecno Mobile
- Visa Inc.
Records and Statistics
Tournament Winners
List of AFC Cup and AFC Champions League Two finals
Top Performing Countries
| Nation | Titles | Runners-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kuwait |
4 | 3 | 7 |
| Iraq |
3 | 2 | 5 |
| Jordan |
3 | 1 | 4 |
| Syria |
2 | 2 | 4 |
| Bahrain |
2 | 1 | 3 |
| Lebanon |
1 | 3 | 4 |
| Uzbekistan |
1 | 1 | 2 |
| Malaysia |
1 | 1 | 2 |
| Oman |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Australia |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| United Arab Emirates |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Tajikistan |
0 | 2 | 2 |
 India |
0 | 1 | 1 |
 Turkmenistan |
0 | 1 | 1 |
 North Korea |
0 | 1 | 1 |
 Singapore |
0 | 1 | 1 |
Top Goal Scorers Each Year
| Year | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Indra Sahdan Daud |
Home United |
7 |
| Egmar Goncalves |
Home United |
||
| 2005 | Mo'ayyad Salim |
Al-Faisaly |
9 |
| 2006 | Mahmoud Shelbaieh |
Al-Wehdat |
8 |
| 2007 | Odai Al Saify |
Shabab Al-Ordun |
5 |
| Mohammed Ghaddar |
Nejmeh |
||
| 2008 |  Rico |
Al-Muharraq |
19 |
| 2009 |  Robert Akaruye |
Busaiteen |
8 |
| Mohamad Hamwi |
Al-Karamah |
||
| Jehad Al Hussain |
Al-Kuwait |
||
 Huỳnh Kesley Alves |
Bình Dương |
||
| 2010 | Afonso Alves |
 Al-Rayyan |
9 |
| 2011 |  Ivan Bošković |
Nasaf Qarshi |
10 |
| 2012 | Amjad Radhi |
Erbil |
9 |
| Raja Rafe |
Al-Shorta |
||
| 2013 |  Issam Jemâa |
Al-Kuwait |
16 |
| 2014 |  Juan Belencoso |
 Kitchee |
11 |
| 2015 | Daniel McBreen |
South China |
8 |
 Riste Naumov |
 Ayeyawady United |
||
| 2016 | Hammadi Ahmed |
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
16 |
| 2017 | Kim Yu-song |
April 25 |
9 |
| 2018 | An Il-bom |
April 25 |
12 |
| 2019 |  Bienvenido Marañón |
Ceres–Negros |
10 |
| 2020 | Bienvenido Marañón |
Ceres–Negros |
5 |
| 2021 | Khusayin Norchaev |
Nasaf Qarshi |
7 |
| 2022 | Jasur Hasanov |
Sogdiana Jizzakh |
5 |
| Paulo Josué |
Kuala Lumpur City |
||
| Pedro Paulo |
Viettel |
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| 2023–24 | Marco Túlio |
Central Coast Mariners |
8 |
| 2024–25 |  Sardar Azmoun |
Shabab Al Ahli |
9 |
Most Valuable Players
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Artur Gevorkyan |
Nasaf Qarshi |
| 2012 | Rogerinho |
Al-Kuwait |
| 2013 | Bader Al-Mutawa |
Al-Qadsia |
| 2014 | Saif Al Hashan |
Al-Qadsia |
| 2015 | Safiq Rahim |
Johor Darul Ta'zim |
| 2016 | Hammadi Ahmed |
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
| 2017 | Manuchekhr Dzhalilov |
Istiklol |
| 2018 | Hammadi Ahmed |
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
| 2019 | Mehdi Khalil |
Al-Ahed |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia | |
| 2021 | Abdulwahab Al-Malood |
Al-Muharraq |
| 2022 | Eid Al-Farsi |
Al-Seeb |
| 2023–24 | Mikael Doka |
Central Coast Mariners |
| 2024–25 | Caio Lucas |
Sharjah |
Winning Coaches
| Year | Club | Coach |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Al-Jaish |
 Costică Ștefănescu |
| 2005 | Al-Faisaly |
 Branko Smiljanić |
| 2006 | Al-Faisaly |
Adnan Hamad |
| 2007 | Shabab Al-Ordon |
Nizar Mahrous |
| 2008 | Al-Muharraq |
Salman Sharida |
| 2009 | Al-Kuwait |
Mohamad Abdulla |
| 2010 | Al-Ittihad |
Valeriu Tița |
| 2011 | Nasaf Qarshi |
 Anatoliy Demyanenko |
| 2012 | Al-Kuwait |
Marin Ion |
| 2013 | Al-Kuwait |
Marin Ion |
| 2014 | Al-Qadsia |
Antonio Puche |
| 2015 | Johor Darul Ta'zim |
 Mario Gomez |
| 2016 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
Basim Qasim |
| 2017 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
Hussam Al Sayed |
| 2018 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
Basim Qasim |
| 2019 | Al-Ahed |
Bassem Marmar |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia | |
| 2021 | Al-Muharraq |
Isa Sadoon Al-Hamdani |
| 2022 | Al-Seeb |
Rashid Jaber |
| 2023–24 | Central Coast Mariners |
 Mark Jackson |
| 2024–25 | Sharjah |
Cosmin Olaroiu |
All-Time Top Goal Scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bienvenido Marañón |
Ceres–Negros |
|
| 2 | Mahmoud Shelbaieh |
Al-Wehdat |
|
| 3 | Aleksandar Đurić |
Geylang United, Singapore Armed Forces, Tampines Rovers |
|
| Amjad Radhi |
Erbil SC, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
|
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| 5 | Bader Al-Mutawa |
Qadsia SC |
|
| Rico |
Al-Muharraq, Al-Riffa, Al-Hidd |
|
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| 7 |  Ali Ashfaq |
Club Valencia, New Radiant, VB Sports Club |
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Similar Football Competitions
- List of association football competitions
- UEFA Europa League – This is a similar second-tier competition in Europe.
- CONMEBOL Sudamericana - This is a similar second-tier competition in South America.
- CAF Confederation Cup - This is a similar second-tier competition in Africa.
See also
In Spanish: Copa AFC para niños
