Asian Champions League Elite draw sets up Al Hilal-Al Ain rematch and Gulf clashes

Al Hilal will face Al Ain in a repeat of last season’s semi-final in the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite league phase, while Saudi Arabian rivals Al Nassr and Al Ahli have been handed difficult Gulf ties.

The draw was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday and was conducted for an expanded league phase featuring 32 clubs, up from 24 in previous editions.

Al Nassr will meet Qatar’s Al Sadd, while Al Ahli have been paired with Shabab Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates. The Saudi clubs will also face a largely similar group of opponents from Qatar, the UAE and Uzbekistan during a league phase that will determine the teams qualifying directly for the knockout rounds.

The opening round of fixtures will be played on 14 and 15 September 2026. The second round is scheduled for 12 and 13 October, followed by the third round on 26 and 27 October.

The fourth round will take place on 2 and 3 November, with the fifth round due on 23 and 24 November. The sixth round will be played on 7 and 8 December before the competition pauses for the winter break.

The league phase will resume in 2027, with round seven scheduled for 8 and 9 February. The decisive eighth round will follow on 15 and 16 February, after which the knockout stage will begin and the new champions will eventually be crowned.

In the western region, Saudi Arabia’s four representatives – Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad – were drawn into paths featuring clubs from the UAE, Qatar and Uzbekistan.

The groups of opponents listed in the western-region draw were:

– Path one: Al Ain, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Gharafa and Pakhtakor; with Esteghlal, Al Ahli, Al Nassr, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Tractor, Al Hilal, Al Qadsiah and Al Ittihad. – Path two: Esteghlal, Al Nassr, Tractor and Al Qadsiah; with Al Sadd, Al Ain, Neftchi, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Wasl, Al Gharafa, Al Shamal and Pakhtakor. – Path three: Al Sadd, Neftchi, Al Wasl and Al Shamal; with Al Ahli, Esteghlal, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Pakhtakor, Al Ittihad and Al Qadsiah. – Path four: Al Ahli, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al Hilal and Al Ittihad; with Al Ain, Al Sadd, Shabab Al Ahli, Neftchi, Al Gharafa, Al Wasl, Pakhtakor and Al Shamal.

The eastern region will include clubs from Thailand, South Korea, Japan, China, Malaysia, Australia and Vietnam.

Its first path consists of Buriram United, Daejeon Hana Citizen, Port FC and Cong An Ha Noi, alongside Kashima Antlers, Shanghai Port, Vissel Kobe, Johor Darul Ta’zim, Beijing FC, Kashiwa Reysol, Kyoto Sanga and Gamba Osaka.

The second eastern path includes Kashima Antlers, Vissel Kobe, Beijing FC and Kyoto Sanga, with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Buriram United, Newcastle Jets, Daejeon Hana Citizen, Pohang Steelers, Port FC, Ratchaburi FC and Cong An Ha Noi completing the listed line-up.

The expanded format will provide the backdrop for the next stage of the competition, with the league phase acting as the route into the knockout rounds and the eventual crowning of the new AFC Champions League Elite champion.