Competition Overview
League Stage
A total of 32 clubs will participate. The clubs will be divided into two leagues—the West Region and the East Region—with 16 clubs in each league.
Each club will play against eight different clubs within its league, comprising four home matches and four away matches. The matchups will be determined by a draw.
Clubs affiliated with the same Member Association will not play against each other during the League Stage.
Points System
- Win: 3 points
- Draw: 1 point
- Loss: 0 points
Determination of League Stage Rankings
The League Stage rankings will be determined in the following order:- Total points obtained in all League Stage matches
- Goal difference in all League Stage matches
- Goals scored in all League Stage matches
- Number of wins in all League Stage matches
- If two clubs remain tied after applying the above criteria and played against each other in their final League 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 League Stage
- Drawing of lots
The top eight clubs in each league will advance to the Knockout Stage.
Knockout Stage
The Knockout Stage consists of:
- The Round of 16, played in a home-and-away knockout format
- The Finals, played in a centralized knockout format
Round of 16
The 16 clubs that qualify from the League Stage will play against clubs from the same region.
The matchups will be determined based on the League Stage rankings as follows:
The first leg will be played at the home venue of the lower-ranked club, and the second leg at the home venue of the higher-ranked club.
Finals
Quarter-finals
The eight winners of the Round of 16 will compete against clubs from the opposite region in single-match knockout ties. The matchups will be determined by a draw.Semi-finals
The four winners of the quarter-finals will compete against each other.Final
The two winners of the semi-finals will compete in the Final.
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 (East Region)
League Stage
Knockout Stage
Round of 16 (Home and Away)
Finals (Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final)
- Friday, April 23 – Friday, April 30, 2027
Match Format and Determination of Winners
League Stage
Each match consists of 90 minutes (two 45-minute halves).
The top eight clubs from each league will advance to the Knockout Stage.
Points System
- Win: 3 points
- Draw: 1 point
- Loss: 0 points
Determination of League Stage Rankings
The League Stage rankings will be determined in the following order:- Total points obtained in all League Stage matches
- Goal difference in all League Stage matches
- Goals scored in all League Stage matches
- Number of wins in all League Stage matches
- If two clubs remain tied after applying the above criteria and played against each other in their final League 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 League 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 or at the end of any Finals match (Quarter-finals, Semi-finals or 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 Elite 2026/27 Competition Regulations
