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← 2023–24(AFC CL)2025–26 →
All statistics correct as of 4 December 2024.
International football competition
The 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) is the 43rd edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the first since it was rebranded as the AFC Champions League Elite. The revamped format, along with the rebranding, sees 24 teams playing eight games against different opponents in the brand new league phase.
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count since the 2002–03 season, when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.
Iran (IRN): Sepahan were also third place in the Pro League, but qualified to the Qualifying play-off after winning the 2023–24 Hazfi Cup.
Qatar (QAT): Because Al-Sadd (who had already qualified for the League stage as the 2023–24 Qatar Stars League champion) also won the 2024 Emir of Qatar Cup, therefore second-placed Al-Rayyan also qualified for the League stage, while the third-placed Al-Gharafa qualified for the Qualifying play-off.
South Korea (KOR): Because Pohang Steelers (who had already qualified for the League stage as the 2023 K League 1 runners-up) also won the 2023 Korean FA Cup, therefore third-placed Gwangju FC qualified for the Qualifying play-off. Since both East region finalists in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup (Yokohama F. Marinos and Central Coast Mariners) had already qualified through their domestic performance, Gwangju was later confirmed for the League stage based on their association's higher ranking, leaving two teams left in the Qualifying play-offs for the East region.
The schedule of the competition is as follows. All matches will be played on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, apart from the quarter-finals and the final. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final matches will be played at a centralized venue in Saudi Arabia.
The two winners of the play-off round (one from West Region and one from East Region) advanced to the league stage to join the 22 direct entrants. The losers of the qualifying play-offs entered the group stage of the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two.
Preliminary round
A total of 2 teams played in the preliminary round.
Updated to match(es) played on 3 December 2024. Source: Asian Football Confederation Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) penalty shoot-out if only two teams remain tied and played each other on the final matchday 6) fair play ranking; 7) drawing of lots (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Updated to match(es) played on 4 December 2024. Source: Asian Football Confederation Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) penalty shoot-out if only two teams remain tied and played each other on the final matchday 6) fair play ranking; 7) drawing of lots (E) Eliminated
Shabab Al-Ahli
Bangkok United
Riyadh
Al-Ahli
Vissel Kobe
Qatar teams
Al-Sadd
Ulsan Hyundai
Al-Hilal (Q)
Pakhtakor
Al-Shorta
Yokohama F. Marinos
Gwangju
Johor Darul Ta'zim
Central Coast Mariners (E)
Jasir Asani
Anderson Lopes
Aleksandar Mitrović
Soufiane Rahimi
Matías Vargas
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ivan Toney
Joselu
Riyad Mahrez
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