Al Nassr face heavyweight West Zone challenge in AFC Champions League Elite

Al Nassr will face eight opponents from the West Zone in the league stage of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite, with their campaign featuring four home matches and four away fixtures under the competition’s new format.

The Saudi club have been drawn against teams from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan as they seek to reach the knockout phase and compete for the biggest club prize in Asian football.

Al Nassr’s home fixtures will be against Al Sadd of Qatar, Neftchi of Uzbekistan, Al Gharafa of Qatar and Al Shamal of Qatar. Their four away assignments are against Al Ain and Shabab Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates, Al Wasl of the UAE, and Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan.

The schedule gives Al Nassr a varied and demanding start to their continental campaign, with a mixture of established regional opponents and clubs from across the West Zone.

Their eight league-stage matches are:

– Al Sadd home – Al Ain away – Neftchi home – Shabab Al Ahli away – Al Gharafa home – Al Wasl away – Pakhtakor away – Al Shamal home

The 2026-27 tournament will be the 45th edition of Asia’s leading club competition, organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It will also be the third edition since the competition was renamed the AFC Champions League Elite.

The season marks another significant change in the tournament’s history, with the AFC increasing the number of clubs in the league stage from 24 to 32. The teams will be split evenly between the West and East Zones, with 16 clubs in each region.

Every side will play eight matches during the league stage, rather than meeting every other team in its zone. The highest-placed clubs will then progress to the knockout rounds under the revised competition system.

For Al Nassr, the draw creates a demanding route towards the latter stages. Four of their fixtures will be played at home, while the other four will require trips across the West Zone, including away games in the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

The Saudi side will therefore begin their bid for continental success against opponents from three different countries. Their results across the eight matches will determine whether they secure a place in the knockout phase and remain in contention for the AFC Champions League Elite title.