BENGALURU, India — The Asian Football Confederation on Tuesday recommended the expansion of its premier club competition, proposing the AFC Champions League Elite move to a 32-team tournament from 24 starting from the 2026-27 season.
Expansion, according to Reuters, would see the competition split with 16 teams each in the East and West regions, which the AFC said would boost competitiveness and inclusion across Asian club football.
The continental governing body proposed revising progression criteria following the league stage to raise the stakes of the opening phase.
Under the proposal, clubs finishing first to sixth in each of the two regions will qualify directly for the round of 16.
Unlike previous formats, teams finishing seventh to 10th would remain in contention, advancing to a newly introduced knockout stage playoff for the remaining last-16 spots.
Teams finishing seventh and eighth would have home advantage with the winners of those ties claiming the final places in the round of 16.
However, a knockout stage playoff would not be introduced in the 2026–27 due to a congested global football calendar. The AFC plans to implement it in subsequent campaigns.
All changes remain subject to approval by the AFC Executive Committee, though they are widely expected to be implemented as outlined.
