2026–27 AFC Champions League Two
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 12–31 August 2026 Competition proper: 15 September 2026 – 15 May 2027 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 35 (from 24 associations) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 64 |
| Goals scored | 165 (2.58 per match) |
| Attendance | 292,588 (4,572 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Malcom Marin Jurina(4 goals each) |
← 2025–26 2027–28 →
All statistics correct as of 5 November 2026. | |
The 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two is the 23rd edition of the Asia's second-tier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the third under the AFC Champions League Two title.
The tournament features 32 teams in the group stage. The winner will qualify for the preliminary stage of the 2027–28 AFC Champions League Elite, if they have not already qualified through their domestic performance.
Gamba Osaka were the reigning champions. They were unable to defend their title as they advanced to participate in the AFC Champions League Elite league stage.
Association team allocation
The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2024–25 competitions were completed.
| Participation for 2025–2026 AFC Champions League Two | |
|---|---|
| Participating | |
| Not participating | |
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- Notes
Teams
- Notes
- ^ Australia (AUS): As 2025 Australia Cup winners Newcastle Jets qualified for the Champions League Elite via their league position, the spot reserved for the Australia Cup winners was transferred to the next highest Australian team in the 2025–26 A-League Men not already qualified for continental football.
- ^ Bahrain (BHR): Al-Muharraq qualified as the 2025–26 Bahraini King's Cup winners.
- ^ Iran (IRN): The 2025–26 Persian Gulf Pro League was left unfinished due to the 2026 Iran war, as well as the presence of the Iran national team at the 2026 World Cup, and most teams opposed continuing the league. Also, continuing the 2025–26 Hazfi Cup, which had previously been supposed to determine Iran's representative in the AFC Champions League Two, was not possible. Therefore, the Football Federation of Iran had to choose Iran's representative from the unfinished league table. Sepahan (the third-placed team) did not qualify due to failing to obtain a professional license, and another team had to be substituted. Before any final decision, the Secretary General of the Football Federation introduced Gol Gohar as Iran's representative to the AFC, and this selection was registered. However, Gol Gohar had played one more match than its rivals, and the small points difference between the fourth to sixth teams caused the Football Federation to stipulate that if Gol Gohar's complaint case against Chadormalu was handled by June 21, this selection would be final. But due to Persepolis's objection and the failure to issue a ruling within the stipulated deadline, a three-team playoff tournament was held to determine Iran's representative in Asia among Gol Gohar, Chadormalu, and Persepolis, in which Chadormalu emerged victorious. After the playoff, the Football Federation, through numerous follow-ups, sought to replace Gol Gohar with Chadormalu, but the AFC opposed this replacement, citing the Secretary General's initial letter. Subsequently, the Disciplinary Committee confirmed the presence of an ineligible player in Chadormalu's lineup in the previous match (which Chadormalu had won 5–1) and changed the result to a 3–0 victory for Gol Gohar, which, after being upheld on appeal, confirmed Gol Gohar's fourth-place position and selection.
- ^ Iraq (IRQ): As the 2025–26 Iraq FA Cup was cancelled due to scheduling constraints, their AFC Champions League Two group stage spot was passed to the 2025–26 Iraq Stars League runners-up.
- ^ Jordan (JOR): Al-Faisaly qualified as the 2025–26 Jordanian Pro League runners-up because both finalists of the 2025–26 Jordan FA Cup could not take the reserved spot: Al-Hussein already qualified for the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite, and Al-Ramtha failed to obtain an AFC license.
- ^ Kuwait (KUW): As Al-Kuwait won the 2025–26 Kuwaiti Premier League main league and qualified to group stage as 2025–26 AFC Challenge League champions, the spot reserved for the league champions was transferred to the second-placed team in the league.
- ^ Malaysia (MAS): As 2025 Malaysia FA Cup winners Johor Darul Ta'zim qualified for the Champions League Elite via their league position, the spot reserved for the Malaysia FA Cup winners was transferred to the runners-up of the 2025–26 Malaysia Super League.
- ^ Saudi Arabia (KSA): As the 2025–26 Saudi King's Cup winners Al Hilal qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite via league position, the spot reserved for the King's Cup was transferred to the 6th place team.
- ^ Singapore (SGP): As 2025–26 Singapore Cup winners Lion City Sailors qualified for the Champions League Two via their league position, the spot reserved for the Singapore Cup winners was transferred to the runners-up in the 2025–26 Singapore Premier League.
- ^ United Arab Emirates (UAE): As Al Ain won the 2025–26 UAE President's Cup final, the spot reserved for the UAE fourth placed team was transferred to the fifth placed team in the league.
- ^ BYE: Received a bye to the Group Stage in accordance with the relevant Competition Regulations
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is expected to be as follows.
| Stage | Round | Draw date | West region | East region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary stage | No draw | 12 August 2026 | 31 August 2026 | |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 18 August 2026 | 15–16 September 2026 | 16–17 September 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | 13–14 October 2026 | 14–15 October 2026 | ||
| Matchday 3 | 27–28 October 2026 | 28–29 October 2026 | ||
| Matchday 4 | 3–4 November 2026 | 4–5 November 2026 | ||
| Matchday 5 | 24–25 November 2026 | 25–26 November 2026 | ||
| Matchday 6 | 8–9 December 2026 | 2–3 December 2026 | ||
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 | 17 December 2026 | 9–10 and 16–17 February 2027 | 10–11 and 17–18 February 2027 |
| Quarter-finals | 2–3 and 16–17 March 2027 | 10–11 and 17–18 March 2027 | ||
| Semi-finals | 6 and 13 April 2027 | 7 and 14 April 2027 | ||
| Final | 15 May 2027 | |||
Preliminary stage
The three winners of the preliminary stage (two from West Region and one from East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 29 direct entrants. The losers of the qualifying play-offs will enter the group stage of the 2026–27 AFC Challenge League.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| West Region | ||
East Bengal  | 4–1 (a.e.t.) |  Al-Arabi |
Arkadag  | 3–0 | Goa |
| East Region | ||
Persib  | 1–0 |  Manila Digger |
West Region
| East Bengal | 4–1 (a.e.t.) | Al-Arabi |
|---|---|---|
|
AFC Report GSA Report |
| Arkadag | 3–0 | Goa |
|---|---|---|
|
AFC Report GSA Report |
East Region
Group stage
Abu Dhabi
Bahrain
Singapore
Hong Kong
Locations of the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two teams in China, Japan and South Korea.
West Region
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | WAH | KSC | NAS | KHA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Al Wahda |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 9 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 3–2 | – | 1–2 | |
| 2 | Al-Kuwait |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 6 | – | — | 2–3 | 3–1 | ||
| 3 |  Nasaf |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | 1–2 | 0–1 | — | – | ||
| 4 |  Al-Khaldiya |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 4 | 1–2 | – | 0–0 | — |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | JAZ | ARK | MUH | GOL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Jazira (A) |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 10 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 2–1 | 4–2 | – | |
| 2 | Arkadag |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 7 | – | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Al-Muharraq |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 3 | 0–3 | – | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 |  Gol Gohar |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | – | — |
Updated to match(es) played on 4 November 2026. Source: ACL2
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | TAW | RAY | FAI | NAH | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Al Taawoun (A) |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 10 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 2–1 | 3–1 | – | |
| 2 |  Al-Rayyan |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 9 | – | — | 4–3 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 |  Al-Faisaly |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 | 0–2 | – | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 |  Al-Nahda (E) |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | – | — |
Updated to match(es) played on 4 November 2026. Source: ACL2
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round; (E) Eliminated
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round; (E) Eliminated
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SHO | HUS | SEE | EBG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Al-Shorta (A) |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 10 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | – | |
| 2 | Al-Hussein |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0–3 | — | – | 2–2 | ||
| 3 | Al-Seeb |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 4 | – | 0–3 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | East Bengal |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 2 | 2–3 | – | 0–2 | — |
Updated to match(es) played on 3 November 2026. Source: ACL2
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round
East Region
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SIB | SEO | MVC | TCV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Persib (A) |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 12 | Advance to round of 16 | — | – | 2–0 | 1–0 | |
| 2 |  FC Seoul |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 | 0–1 | — | – | 3–0 | ||
| 3 |  Melbourne Victory |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1–2 | 3–0 | — | – | ||
| 4 |  Thể Công–Viettel |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | −9 | 1 | – | 0–5 | 1–1 | — |
Updated to match(es) played on 4 November 2026. Source: ACL2
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | LCS | BGP | ADE | TPF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lion City Sailors |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 10 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 1–1 | 5–0 | – | |
| 2 |  BG Pathum United |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 7 | – | — | 1–2 | 4–1 | ||
| 3 | Adelaide United |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 6 | 0–2 | – | — | 3–0 | ||
| 4 |  Tai Po (E) |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 0 | 0–1 | 0–3 | – | — |
Updated to match(es) played on 5 November 2026. Source: ACL2
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(E) Eliminated
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(E) Eliminated
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MCZ | PKR | SHS | TAM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Machida Zelvia (A) |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 12 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | – | |
| 2 |  PKR Svay Rieng |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 7 | – | — | 0–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 |  Shanghai Shenhua |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | 0–1 | – | — | 2–1 | ||
| 4 | Tampines Rovers (E) |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 0 | 0–1 | 1–5 | – | — |
Updated to match(es) played on 5 November 2026. Source: ACL2
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round; (E) Eliminated
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(A) Advance to a further round; (E) Eliminated
Group H
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PPC | KIT | KUC | GWN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phnom Penh Crown |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 9 | Advance to round of 16 | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | – | |
| 2 | Kitchee |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 5 | 2–1 | — | – | 0–0 | ||
| 3 |  Kuching City |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | – | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Gangwon FC |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 4 | 1–2 | – | 1–0 | — |
Knockout stage
In the knockout stage, 16 teams will play a single-elimination tournament. Each tie will be played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, except the final which will be played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winners if necessary (Regulations Article 10). The order of matches (home vs away) will be determined at the draw, except for the final. The final venue was pre-determined on a rotation basis, with the match hosted by the team from the East region. The draw for the knockout stage is scheduled to be held on 17 December 2026. Teams from the same group cannot be drawn against each other.
Bracket
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||||||||
| East Region | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 May – TBC | ||||||||||||||||||||
| West Region | ||||||||||||||||||||
Round of 16
The first legs will be played between 9 and 10 February, and the second legs between 17 and 18 February 2027.
| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|
Top scorers
Team eliminated for this round / inactive for this round / Matches voided by AFC / Player left the team
| Rank | Player | Team | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | R16-1 | R16-2 | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malcom |
Al Jazira |
1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Marin Jurina |
BG Pathum United |
1 | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Aref Al-Haj |
Al-Hussein |
3 | 3 | ||||||||||||
 Moses Dyer |
Phnom Penh Crown |
2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
 Facundo Kruspzky |
Al Wahda |
2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
 Kingsley Kuku |
Al-Shorta |
1 | 2 | |||||||||||||
 Balša Sekulić |
Persib |
2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Gleison |
Al-Khaldiya |
1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
 Tiago Alves |
PKR Svay Rieng |
2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
 Matthias Phaëton |
Lion City Sailors |
1 | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Bobur Abdikholikov |
Nasaf |
1 | 2 |
- Note
- Goals scored in the qualifying play-offs and matches voided by AFC are not counted when determining top scorer (Regulations Article 64.4)
See also
Notes
- ↑ Pre-determined format
- ↑ Persib will play their preliminary stage match at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Soreang, instead of their regular home ground, Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium in Bandung, which was undergoing major pitch works.
References
- ↑ "Asian Champions League to relaunch with fewer teams and more prize money in 2024–25 season". AP News. August 14, 2023.
- ↑ "History beckons for AFC Cup 2023/24 contenders as final edition of popular competition kicks off". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ↑ "AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League". the-AFC.
- ↑ "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- ↑ "AFC Men's Club Competitions Ranking 2024/25" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ↑ "AFC Club Competitions 2026/27 Slot Allocation" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2026. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
- ↑ "AFC Club Competitions - Entry Regulations (Edition 2025)" (PDF). the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ "AFC grants one-season exemption to India; ISL champions set to participate in ACL 2 qualifiers". Khel Now. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ "Asian Football Confederation (AFC) provides update on Australia's ACL Two slot". footballaustralia.com.au. Football Australia Media. 19 May 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
- ↑ "مخالفت ۱۲ باشگاه با ادامه لیگ برتر فوتبال". Tasnim News Agency (in Persian). 5 April 2026.
- ↑ "دلیل حذف سپاهان از آسیا مشخص شد". Varzesh 3 (in Persian). 2 June 2026.
- ↑ "صدور رای استیناف به امروز نرسید/ قطعی شدن تورنمنت ۳ جانبه بین گلگهر، پرسپولیس و چادرملو". ISNA (in Persian). 21 June 2026.
- ↑ "گلگهر 0 (6)- چادرملو 0 (7): ما که رفتیم آسیا!". Varzesh 3 (in Persian). 29 June 2026.
- ↑ "فاجعه مدیران فدراسیون: چادرملو به آسیا نمیرود!". Varzesh 3 (in Persian). 15 July 2026.
- ↑ "استیناف برد ۳-هیچ گلگهر را تایید کرد". Varzesh 3 (in Persian). 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "چادرملو برد، گلگهر آسیایی شد؛ اردکانیها میهمان ناخوانده سهجانبه دبیرکل!". Football360 (in Persian). 1 September 2026.
- ↑ "اتحاد الكرة يقرر إلغاء ما تبقى من منافسات بطولة كأس العراق" (in Arabic). Iraqi News Agency. 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "2026/27 line-ups confirmed for AFC men's club competitions". AFC. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 "AFC Competitions Calendar (Jul 2026 - Jun 2027)" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. 29 April 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Persib Bandung Pindahkan Laga ACL 2 Ke Si Jalak Harupat". Suara Garut (in Indonesian). 24 August 2026. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "AFC Champions League Two – Top Scorers". the-afc.com. Retrieved 15 September 2026.