The AFC Champions League is a men’s cup competition with recorded coverage spanning the 2016 to 2025 seasons. This page brings together live scores, fixtures and results for the competition, with standings plus player and team statistics to support match-by-match and season-by-season reference. Return here to follow recorded competition data in one clear, practical view.
Upcoming matches, AFC Champions League
League Phase - 1
-
- League Phase - 1
Al Ain
Al-Nassr
-
- League Phase - 1
Al-Hilal Saudi FC
Al-Gharafa
-
- League Phase - 1
Jeonbuk Motors
Kashiwa Reysol
-
- League Phase - 1Port FC
Vissel Kobe
Group Stage
-
- Group Stage
Pakhtakor
No H2HAl-Qadisiyah FC
-
- Group Stage
Al-Wasl FC
Al-Ahli Jeddah
-
- Group Stage
Tractor Sazi
No H2HAl Shamal
-
- Group Stage
Al-Gharafa
Esteghlal FC
-
- Group Stage
Al-Nassr
No H2HNeftchi
-
- Group Stage
Al Quwa Al Jawiya
No H2HAl Ain
Latest played matches, AFC Champions League
League Phase - 1
AFC Champions League Standings
East Region
| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Kashima | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 | W |
| 2 |
|
Gamba Osaka | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | WW |
| 3 |
|
SHANGHAI SIPG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | W |
| 4 |
|
Beijing Guoan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | W |
| 5 |
|
Daejeon Citizen | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | W |
| 6 |
|
Johor Darul Takzim FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | D |
| 7 |
|
Buriram United | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | D |
| 8 |
|
Vissel Kobe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 |
|
Kashiwa Reysol | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 |
|
Jeonbuk Motors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Port FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 |
|
Kyoto Sanga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | L |
| 13 |
|
Ratchaburi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 0 | L |
| 14 |
|
Pohang Steelers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 | L |
| 15 |
|
Công An Nhân Dân | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 | LW |
| 16 |
|
Newcastle Jets | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 | L |
West Region
| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Esteghlal FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | W |
| 2 |
|
Al-Qadisiyah FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | W |
| 3 |
|
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | W |
| 4 |
|
Neftchi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | W |
| 5 |
|
Al-Ittihad FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | DW |
| 6 |
|
Al Shamal | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | D |
| 7 |
|
Pakhtakor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | DW |
| 8 |
|
Al-Ahli Jeddah | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | D |
| 9 |
|
Al-Nassr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 |
|
Al-Hilal Saudi FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 |
|
Al Ain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 |
|
Al-Gharafa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 |
|
Al-Wasl FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 | L |
| 14 |
|
Al Quwa Al Jawiya | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | L |
| 15 |
|
Tractor Sazi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | L |
| 16 |
|
Al Sadd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 | L |
AFC Champions League Statistics
Top scorers 2026
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|
Top assists 2026
| # | Player | Assists |
|---|
Top key passes
Top tackles
Top yellow cards
Top red cards
AFC Champions League teams participation since 2016
History
| Team | Nb participations |
|---|---|
| SHANGHAI SIPG | 10 |
| Johor Darul Takzim FC | 10 |
| Al Sadd | 10 |
| Al-Hilal Saudi FC | 10 |
| Ulsan Hyundai FC | 9 |
| Al-Duhail SC | 9 |
| Buriram United | 8 |
| Al Ain | 8 |
| Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 8 |
| Al-Ahli Jeddah | 8 |
| Pakhtakor | 8 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 7 |
| Guangzhou Evergrande FC | 7 |
| Persepolis FC | 7 |
| Jeonbuk Motors | 7 |
| Al-Rayyan SC | 7 |
| Kitchee | 7 |
| Esteghlal FC | 6 |
| Sepahan FC | 6 |
| Al-Gharafa | 6 |
| Al-Nassr | 6 |
| Nasaf | 6 |
| Al Wihdat | 6 |
| Urawa | 5 |
| Shanghai Shenhua | 5 |
| Shandong Luneng | 5 |
| Sydney | 5 |
| Melbourne Victory | 5 |
| Tractor Sazi | 5 |
| Bangkok United | 5 |
| Chiangrai United | 5 |
| Sharjah FC | 5 |
| Lokomotiv | 5 |
| Tampines Rovers | 5 |
| Ceres | 5 |
| Istiqlol | 5 |
| Vissel Kobe | 4 |
| Kashima | 4 |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 4 |
| Melbourne City | 4 |
| ZOB Ahan | 4 |
| Pohang Steelers | 4 |
| Suwon Bluewings | 4 |
| FC Seoul | 4 |
| Port FC | 4 |
AFC Champions League top scorer teams
Goals scored vs. conversion rate
| Team | Goals scored | Total shots | Conversion % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kashima | 7 | 18 |
|
| SHANGHAI SIPG | 6 | 11 |
|
| Gamba Osaka | 4 | 12 |
|
| Ratchaburi | 4 | 21 |
|
| Beijing Guoan | 3 | 11 |
|
| Công An Nhân Dân | 1 | 15 |
|
| Daejeon Citizen | 1 | 17 |
|
| Pohang Steelers | 1 | 9 |
|
| Buriram United | 1 | 8 |
|
| Al Shamal | 1 | 7 |
|
| Newcastle Jets | 1 | 4 |
|
| Al-Ittihad FC | 1 | 14 |
|
| Johor Darul Takzim FC | 1 | 20 |
|
| Kyoto Sanga | 0 | 1 |
|
AFC Champions League About
AFC Champions League is Asia’s leading men’s continental club competition, organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and designed to identify the region’s top club side. It sits above domestic league and cup football in the Asian club game, bringing together leading teams from AFC member associations in a competition that combines a league phase with knockout football.
Although commonly described as a cup competition, its modern structure is hybrid rather than a straight knockout. Clubs must first earn access through their domestic achievements and then negotiate continental opponents across one of football’s largest and most varied regions. The tournament’s scale, travel demands and contrasting domestic calendars make it a distinctive test of squad depth, preparation and adaptability.
Asia’s premier club competition
The competition traces its roots to the Asian Champion Club Tournament, first established in 1967. It subsequently developed through several eras of Asian continental club football before taking the AFC Champions League identity. A major reform introduced the AFC Champions League Elite branding for the highest tier of the AFC’s men’s club competitions, with the aim of concentrating more of the continent’s leading clubs in an elite competition.
The AFC Champions League therefore has a dual role: it crowns a continental champion and provides a meeting point for domestic champions, leading league finishers and cup-qualified sides from across Asia. Success carries sporting prestige well beyond a single season, while the competition also offers a route towards global club events administered by FIFA.
Qualification, rankings and club licensing
Entry is earned principally through performance in domestic league and cup competitions. Member associations do not all receive the same number of places: allocations are linked to the AFC’s club-competition ranking system, which assesses the continental results of clubs from each association over a defined period. Higher-ranked associations can therefore receive greater representation, while clubs from other associations may face preliminary or play-off routes where applicable.
Domestic success alone is not sufficient. Participating clubs are required to satisfy AFC Club Licensing standards, which cover areas including sporting administration, infrastructure, legal arrangements and finance. This is an important part of the competition’s purpose: continental participation is intended to reward results on the pitch while also encouraging sustainable, professionally run clubs.
The qualification system creates a broad regional field, but it also preserves the principle that access should be merit-based. A club’s domestic campaign is consequently closely connected to its chance of competing on the Asian stage in the following continental cycle.
League phase, regional balance and knockout progression
The modern AFC Champions League Elite format begins with a league stage rather than the traditional small-group model. Teams are separated into West and East regions during the earlier part of the competition, a practical response to Asia’s geography and the need to manage travel across long distances. Within each regional league table, clubs play a scheduled set of opponents determined through the draw and seeding arrangements.
League-stage matches use the familiar points system: three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. The best-placed teams progress to the knockout rounds. Competition regulations set the precise ranking and tiebreak criteria, which can include measures such as goal difference, goals scored and disciplinary records; supporters should always consult the regulations for the relevant edition when teams finish level on points.
The first knockout round is played over home-and-away ties, allowing clubs to retain the advantage and atmosphere of hosting continental football. The later rounds move to a centralised finals event in a host nation, where the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are decided as single-leg matches. That shift gives the closing stages a tournament feel while ensuring that the champion must handle both the sustained league phase and the pressure of elimination football.
In a single knockout match, a draw after normal time can lead to extra time and, if required, a penalty shoot-out. For two-legged ties, the applicable regulations determine how an aggregate draw is resolved.
A competition shaped by continental football
The AFC Champions League generally follows an inter-year rhythm. Its league phase is typically played in the latter months of one calendar year, with knockout football and the finals taking place in the following spring. This arrangement reflects the challenge of aligning clubs from domestic competitions with different seasonal schedules across the continent.
For players and coaches, the tournament demands more than technical quality. Away trips can involve major changes in climate, time zone and playing conditions, while the regional split in the league phase recognises those realities without removing the prospect of an all-Asia finale. The centralised final rounds then bring the strongest remaining clubs into direct, one-match contests.
The AFC Champions League remains the leading measure of men’s club achievement in Asian football. Its evolving format reflects the AFC’s attempt to balance elite standards, commercial appeal, geographic practicality and opportunities for clubs from across its member associations. Regulations, entry allocations and detailed draw procedures may change between editions, but the central objective endures: to determine Asia’s foremost club side through meaningful domestic qualification and demanding continental competition.