The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions committee has proposed increasing the number of participating clubs in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) from 24 to 32. The competition will maintain an equal split with 16 teams in the East and West Regions. This move aims to offer elite clubs more opportunities to compete at a higher level and encourage better standards in domestic leagues across Asia.
The top six clubs in each region at the end of the league stage will directly qualify for the Round of 16, while the teams ranked seventh to 10th will progress to a newly introduced knockout stage playoff. Starting from the 2026/27 season, the criteria for progression after the League Stage will be revised to increase competitiveness from the outset.
In the current format, 24 teams are divided into East and West regions, each with 12 teams. Teams play eight matches in the group stage, with the top eight from each region advancing to the round of 16. The AFC aims to maintain the significance of every league stage match by awarding home-ground advantage to the higher-ranked clubs in the playoff stage.
The Knockout Stage Playoff will not be introduced for the 2026/27 season due to scheduling conflicts in the global competition calendar but is planned for future seasons. These proposed changes are subject to approval by the AFC Executive Committee before implementation.
