Competition Overview
Group Stage
A total of 32 clubs will participate.
The clubs will be divided into eight groups of four clubs each, with the group composition determined by a draw.
Each group will play a double round-robin league format on a home-and-away basis.
Four groups will consist of clubs from the West Region, and the remaining four groups will consist of clubs from the East Region.
In principle, clubs affiliated with the same Member Association will not play against each other during the Group Stage.
The top two clubs from each group will advance to the Knockout Stage.
Knockout Stage
The Knockout Stage consists of the Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final.
The Round of 16, Quarter-finals and Semi-finals will be played in a home-and-away knockout format.
The Final will be played as a single match.
Except for the Final, clubs will compete against clubs from the same region.
Player Registration
Maximum Number of Registered Players
Each club may register up to 35 players:
- List A: Up to 25 players
- List B: Up to 10 players
List A
A maximum of 25 players may be registered.
At least six players must be Homegrown Players, of whom at least three must be Club-Trained Players.
If fewer than six Homegrown Players are registered, the maximum number of players permitted on List A will be reduced accordingly.
Homegrown Player
A player who qualifies as either:- A Club-Trained Player; or
- An Association-Trained Player registered with another club affiliated with the same Member Association.
Club-Trained Player
A player who, regardless of nationality, has been registered with the club for a total period of at least 36 months between the season in which the player turned 15 and the season in which the player turned 21.Association-Trained Player
A player who, regardless of nationality, has been registered for a total period of at least 36 months with one or more clubs affiliated with the same Member Association between the season in which the player turned 15 and the season in which the player turned 21.
For Japanese clubs, the relevant Member Association is the Japan Football Association (JFA).
List B
A maximum of 10 players may be registered.
Only players born on or after January 1, 2005 may be registered.
Match Squad
A maximum of 23 players may be included in the match squad.
There is no limit on the number of foreign players who may be registered in the match squad or participate in a match.
Match Schedule
Group Stage (Home and Away)
Knockout Stage
Round of 16 (Home and Away)
Quarter-finals (Home and Away)
Semi-finals (Home and Away)
Final (Single Match)
- Saturday, May 15, 2027
Match Format and Determination of Winners
Group Stage
Each match consists of 90 minutes, divided into two 45-minute halves.
The top two clubs in each group will advance to the Knockout Stage.
Points System
- Win: 3 points
- Draw: 1 point
- Loss: 0 points
Determination of Group Rankings
At the conclusion of the Group Stage, clubs will be ranked according to the total number of points obtained.
If two or more clubs are tied on points, the rankings will be determined by the results of the matches played among the tied clubs, applying the following criteria in order:- Points obtained in the matches among the tied clubs
- Goal difference in the matches among the tied clubs
- Goals scored in the matches among the tied clubs
If the clubs are still tied, the following criteria based on all Group Stage matches will be applied:- Goal difference in all Group Stage matches
- Goals scored in all Group Stage matches
- If two clubs remain tied after applying the above criteria and played against each other in their final Group Stage match, a penalty shoot-out will be conducted
- Lower disciplinary points score, calculated based on the number of yellow cards and red cards received during the Group Stage
- Drawing of lots
Knockout Stage
If the winner has not been determined at the end of the second leg of the Round of 16, Quarter-finals or Semi-finals, or at the end of the Final, 30 minutes of extra time (two 15-minute halves) will be played.
If the winner is still not determined after extra time, a penalty shoot-out will be conducted.
Reference
AFC Champions League Two 2026/27 Competition Regulations
