AFC Champions League Elite

Season Description
The 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) will be the 45th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the third under the AFC Champions League Elite title.

Saudi Arabia has provisionally been awarded the hosting rights for the finals until 2029. The tournament winner will qualify for the 2027–28 AFC Champions League Elite league stage, the 2027 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

This will be the first season of the ACL Elite to feature 32 teams in the league stage of the competition, with the AFC confirming on 24 April 2026 that the league stage of the tournament would be expanded from 24 teams to 32. This will be the first season since the 2019 AFC Champions League, in which 32 teams will compete in the competition proper.

Al-Ahli are two-time defending champions, having retained the title in 2026.

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