2025–26 AFC Champions League Two

The 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two will be the 22nd edition of the Asia's second-tier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the second under the AFC Champions League Two title.^[1][2] It will feature 32 teams in the group stage.^[3] The winner will be given an indirect preliminary stage slot for the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite, if they have not already qualified through their domestic performance.

2025–26 AFC Champions League Two

Tournament details
Teams	Competition proper: 32 (from 24 associations)
Tournament statistics
Best player(s)	besiktas
← [ 2026–27 →

Association team allocation

The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2023–24 competitions were completed.^[4][5] Slots are subject to later re-balancing based on the 2024–25 competition results.

Participation for 2025–2026 AFC Champions League Two
	Participating
	Not participating

West Region (4 groups) Rank Member association Points Slots Group stage Play-off Zone AFC — — 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite qualifying round losers — 1 0 1 1  Saudi Arabia 103.148 1 0 2 4  United Arab Emirates 74.873 1 0 3 5  Qatar 70.330 1 0 4 6  Iran 68.640 1 0 5 9  Uzbekistan 47.259 1 0 6 10  Iraq 37.118 1 0 7 13  Jordan 30.403 2 0 8 16  Bahrain 23.368 2 0 9 17  India 22.806 1 1 10 18  Tajikistan 22.493 1 1 11 19  Turkmenistan 20.217 0 1 12 20  Oman 20.048 0 1 Total Participating associations: 12 13 4 17

East Region (4 groups) Rank Member association Points Slots Group stage Play-off Zone AFC — — 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite qualifying round losers — 1 or 2 0 1 2  Japan 96.999 1 0 2 3  South Korea 93.600 1 0 3 7  China 57.764 1 0 4 8  Thailand 49.546 1 0 5 11  Australia 34.703 1 0 6 12  Malaysia 31.331 1 0 7 14  Vietnam 28.657 1 1 8 15  Hong Kong 26.888 1 1 9 23  Singapore 17.350 1 1 10 25  Philippines 16.230 1 1 11 28  Indonesia 14.816 0 1 12 29  North Korea 13.923 0 1 Total Participating associations: 12 11–12 6 17–18

Teams

The number of appearances and last appearance include the AFC Cup as the predecessor of the AFC Champions League Two.

West Region Group stage direct entrants Team Qualifying method App. (last) 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite qualifying round losers 2024–25 Saudi King's Cup winners[6] 1st 2024–25 UAE Pro League third place Al-Gharafa 2024–25 Qatar Stars League third place[Note QAT] 1st 2024–25 Hazfi Cup winners 1st Andijon 2024 Uzbekistan Cup winners 1st 2024–25 Iraq FA Cup winners Al-Hussein 2024–25 Jordanian Pro League champions 3rd (2024–25) 2024–25 Jordan FA Cup winners 2024–25 Bahraini Premier League champions Al Khaldiya 2024–25 Bahraini King's Cup winners 3rd (2024–25) Mohun Bagan 2024–25 Indian Super League champions 8th (2023–24) Istiklol 2024 Tajikistan Higher League champions 8th (2024–25) Qualifying play-off participants Team Qualifying method App. (last) Goa 2025 Super Cup winners 1st Regar-TadAZ Tursunzoda 2024 Tajikistan Cup winners 2nd (2013) Arkadag 2024 Ýokary Liga champions 2024 Turkmenistan Cup winners Possible 2024–25 AFC Challenge League winners[Note TKM] 1st Al-Seeb 2024–25 Oman Professional League champions 2nd (2022)

East Region Group stage direct entrants Team Qualifying method App. (last) 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite qualifying round losers Gamba Osaka 2024 J1 League fourth place[Note JPN] 1st Pohang Steelers 2024 Korean FA Cup winners 1st Beijing Guoan 2024 Chinese Super League fourth place[Note CHN] 1st 2024–25 Thai FA Cup winners Macarthur FC 2024 Australia Cup winners 2nd (2023–24) Selangor 2024–25 Malaysia Super League runners-up[Note MAL] 7th (2024–25) 2024–25 V.League 1 champions 2024–25 Hong Kong Premier League champions 2024–25 Singapore Premier League champions[Note SGP] Kaya–Iloilo 2024–25 Philippines Football League champions 6th (2024–25) Qualifying play-off participants Team Qualifying method App. (last) 2024–25 Vietnamese Cup winners 2024–25 Hong Kong FA Cup winners 2024–25 Singapore Cup winners[Note SGP] Manila Digger 2024–25 Philippines Football League runners-up 1st Persib 2024–25 Liga 1 champions 3rd (2024–25) 2024–25 DPR Korea Premier Football League champions

The following team will also qualify to the East region unless they had already qualified based on their domestic performance.

East Region Group stage direct entrants Team Qualifying method App. (last) 2024–25 AFC Challenge League winners

Notes

1. ^
   China (CHN): As 2024 Chinese FA Cup winners Shanghai Port qualified for the Champions League Elite via their league position, the spot reserved for the Chinese FA Cup winners was transferred to the fourth placed team in the 2024 Chinese Super League.
2. ^
   Japan (JPN): As 2024 Emperor's Cup winners Vissel Kobe qualified for the Champions League Elite via their league position, the spot reserved for the Emperor's Cup winners was transferred to the fourth placed team the 2024 J1 League.
3. ^
   Malaysia (MAL): As 2024 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 2024–25 Malaysia Super League.
4. ^
   Qatar (QAT): Al-Gharafa may still qualify for the Champions League Elite instead by winning the 2025 Emir of Qatar Cup. In that case, the team finishing fourth in the 2024–25 Qatar Stars League will qualify.
5. ^
   Turkmenistan (TKM): Arkadag, winners of the 2024 Ýokary Liga and 2024 Turkmenistan Cup would have qualified for the qualifying play-off, but may still qualify for the Champions League Two instead by winning the 2024-25 AFC Challenge League. In that case, the berth will be given to Ahal, runners-up of the 2024 Ýokary Liga.
6. ^
   Singapore (SGP):

   • Lion City Sailors and BG Tampines Rovers have qualified for the competition and they will finish in top two of the 2024-25 Singapore Premier League and the only two eligible local semi-finalists of the 2024-25 Singapore Cup.
   • Lion City Sailors may still qualify for the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite if they win the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two.

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows.^[7] All matches are being played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, apart from the final which takes place on a Sunday.

Stage	Round	Draw date	Match Dates
Preliminary stage	Preliminary stage	TBD	30 July 2025–13 August 2025
Group stage	Matchday 1	29 August 2025	16–18 September 2024
	Matchday 2		30 September–2 October 2025
	Matchday 3		21–23 October 2025
	Matchday 4		4–6 November 2025
	Matchday 5		25–27 November 2025
	Matchday 6		9–11 December 2025
Knockout stage	Round of 16	16 December 2025	10–12 and 17–19 February 2026
	Quarter-finals		3–5 and 10–12 March 2026
	Semi-finals		1 April 2026
	Final		3 May 2026

See also

• 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite
• 2025–26 AFC Challenge League
• 2025–26 AFC Women's Champions League

Notes