The AFC Asian Champions League Elite will expand from 24 to 32 teams from next season, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Tuesday.
“Under the new structure, the league will remain evenly divided with 16 teams each in the eastern and western regions,” the AFC said in a statement.
“This scale-up is intended to provide opportunities for elite clubs to compete against the continent’s best, while at the same time driving higher standards of professionalism and performance within domestic competitions in Asia.”
The Confederation has also decided to change the qualifying format for teams after the group stage.
Until this season, 24 teams would be divided into two regions, East and West, with 12 teams each. Based on seeding, each team played eight matches in the group stage, with the top eight from each region qualifying for the round of 16.
From the 2027–2028 season, the top six clubs from each region will qualify directly from the round of 16, while those finishing between seventh and tenth will play knockout play-offs to complete the squad for the quarter-finals.
“To reward superior performance during the League Stage, the higher ranked club in each combination – in particular the seventh and eighth placed teams – will retain home advantage,” the AFC said.
However, the decisions await ratification by the AFC Executive Committee.
Published on April 14, 2026
