AFC Champions League 2025-2026 Draw Maps the Competition Among the Giants of the Continent

Under the slogan of major confrontations, the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur witnessed on Friday the draw ceremony for the group stage of the AFC Champions League for the 2025-2026 season, with the presence of representatives from the 32 qualified clubs from various parts of the Asian continent.

The draw resulted in exciting matchups, with teams distributed across eight groups. In the first group, Al-Wasl from the UAE, Esteghlal from Iran, Muharraq from Bahrain, and Al-Wehdat from Jordan will compete, while the second group includes Al-Ahli from Qatar, Andijon from Uzbekistan, Arkadag from Turkmenistan, and Al-Khalidiya from Bahrain.

In the western region, the third group consists of Sepahan from Iran, Al-Hussein from Jordan, Mohun Bagan Super Giant from India, and Alhal from Turkmenistan, while the fourth group brings together Al-Nassr from Saudi Arabia, Al-Zawraa from Iraq, Istiklol from Tajikistan, and Goa from India.

In the eastern region, the fifth group will witness fierce competition between Beijing from China, Macarthur from Australia, Tai Po from Hong Kong, and Cong An Hanoi from Vietnam, while the sixth group places Gamba Osaka from Japan against Nam Dinh from Vietnam, Ratchaburi from Thailand, and Eastern from Hong Kong.

The seventh group carries a mix of Asian colors with Bangkok United from Thailand, Selangor from Malaysia, Lion City Sailors from Singapore, and Persib Bandung from Indonesia, while the eighth group concludes the competitions with matchups featuring Pohang Steelers from South Korea, Pathum United from Thailand, Kaya Iloilo from the Philippines, and Tampines Rovers from Singapore.

The competitions are scheduled to kick off on September 16, according to the schedule announced by the Asian Football Confederation, with the group stage continuing until December 24, 2025, after which the top teams will qualify for the Round of 16 set between February 10 and 19, 2026.

The months of March and April 2026 will witness the holding of the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively, before the tournament concludes with its grand final match on May 16, 2026, which will determine the identity of the Asian champion for the 2025-2026 season.

It is noteworthy that this tournament comes as part of the second edition of the AFC Champions League in its new format, which aims to elevate the level of competition and present football displays worthy of the fans of the Asian continent.