AFC Champions League Elite West region: Full 2026-27 fixture list and how to watch

The 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite will begin on 14 September, with 16 clubs contesting the expanded West region league phase before the competition concludes with the final on 1 May 2027.

Al Ahli have won the past two editions and will attempt to make it three successive titles, but they face strong competition from Saudi Arabian clubs Al Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsiah, as well as Al Sadd, Al Shamal, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Ain and other leading sides.

The tournament is expected to attract more than one billion viewers across the world and remains the leading club competition in Asian football.

The Asian Football Confederation announced a major overhaul of its club competitions in December 2022. The continent’s top competition was reduced from 40 teams to 24 in the league phase, with 12 clubs allocated to each of the West and East regions.

Under that format, every team played eight matches against eight different opponents from its own region, including four home games and four away games. The top eight sides in each region progressed to the knockout stage.

The round of 16 was played over two legs, while the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were staged as single matches at a neutral venue in one host country.

The AFC confirmed in August 2023 that the new structure would begin in 2024-25, when the competition was officially renamed the AFC Champions League Elite. The confederation also said that the historical records and statistics of the AFC Champions League would remain valid and would be included in the official AFC Champions League Elite record.

For 2026-27, the league phase has been expanded from 24 to 32 clubs, with 16 teams in each region. The change is intended to increase the number of matches, improve the level of competition and give more clubs the opportunity to play in Asia’s leading club tournament.

The league phase will run from 14 September 2026 to 15 February 2027. The round of 16 will be played in March, the remaining knockout rounds will take place at the end of April, and the final is scheduled for 1 May.

West region table

All teams begin with no matches played, goals scored or points:

| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Difference | Points | |||:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:| | 1 | Al Ahli | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 2 | Al Ain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 3 | Al Gharafa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 4 | Al Hilal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 5 | Al-Ittihad | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 6 | Al-Nassr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 7 | Al-Qadsiah | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 8 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 9 | Al Sadd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 10 | Al Shamal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 11 | Al Wasl | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 12 | Esteghlal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 13 | Pakhtakor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 14 | Neftchi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 15 | Shabab Al Ahli | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 16 | Tractor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

Fixtures

The opening round features eight matches on 14 and 15 September. Neftchi play Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya at 16:45 Saudi Arabia time (17:45 UAE) at Esteghlal, while Al Shamal host Al-Ittihad at 19:00 (20:00) at Al Bayt. Shabab Al Ahli meet Tractor at the same time at Rashid Stadium.

Al-Qadsiah face Al Wasl at 21:15 (22:15) at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium, and Esteghlal play Al Sadd at the same time at Basra International Stadium. Al Ahli host Pakhtakor at Alinma Stadium. On 15 September, Al Ain meet Al-Nassr at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium at 19:00 (20:00), followed by Al Hilal against Al Gharafa at Kingdom Arena at 21:15 (22:15).

The second round is scheduled for 12 and 13 October:

– Pakhtakor v Al-Qadsiah, 16:45 (17:45), Pakhtakor Stadium; Al Wasl v Al Ahli, 19:00 (20:00), Zabeel Stadium; Tractor v Al Shamal, 19:00 (20:00), Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. – Al Gharafa v Esteghlal, 21:15 (22:15), Thani bin Jassim Stadium; Al-Nassr v Neftchi, 21:15 (22:15), Al-Awwal Park; Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya v Al Ain, 21:15 (22:15), Basra International Stadium. – Al Sadd v Al Hilal, 13 October at 19:00 (20:00), Jassim bin Hamad Stadium; Al-Ittihad v Shabab Al Ahli, 21:15 (22:15), Alinma Stadium.

Matches on 26 and 27 October include Neftchi v Al-Ittihad at Esteghlal, Al Ain v Tractor at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ahli v Al Gharafa at Alinma Stadium, Al-Qadsiah v Al Sadd at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium, Al-Nassr v Al Wasl at Al-Awwal Park and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya v Pakhtakor at Basra International Stadium. On 27 October, Shabab Al Ahli host Esteghlal at Rashid Stadium, while Al Shamal play Al Hilal at Al Bayt.

The fourth round takes place on 2 and 3 November. Pakhtakor play Al-Nassr at Pakhtakor Stadium; Al Sadd meet Al Ahli at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium; Al Wasl face Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya at Zabeel Stadium; and Tractor host Neftchi at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. Al Gharafa play Al-Qadsiah at Thani bin Jassim Stadium, while Al-Ittihad face Al Ain at Alinma Stadium. Esteghlal meet Al Shamal at Basra International Stadium on 3 November, before Al Hilal host Shabab Al Ahli at Kingdom Arena.

On 23 and 24 November, the fixtures are Neftchi v Al Hilal at Esteghlal, Al Shamal v Al Ahli at Al Bayt, Tractor v Al Wasl at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Al Ain v Esteghlal at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya v Al Gharafa at Basra International Stadium, Al-Ittihad v Pakhtakor at Alinma Stadium, Shabab Al Ahli v Al-Qadsiah at Rashid Stadium and Al-Nassr v Al Sadd at Al-Awwal Park.

The sixth round is on 7 and 8 December. Pakhtakor play Tractor at Pakhtakor Stadium; Al-Qadsiah meet Al Shamal at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium; Al Wasl face Al-Ittihad at Zabeel Stadium; Al Sadd host Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium; and Al Hilal play Al Ain at Kingdom Arena. Esteghlal meet Neftchi at Basra International Stadium, while Al Gharafa host Al-Nassr at Thani bin Jassim Stadium. Al Ahli face Shabab Al Ahli at Alinma Stadium.

The penultimate round will be played on 8 and 9 February 2027. Pakhtakor face Esteghlal at Pakhtakor Stadium; Al Ain play Al-Qadsiah at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium; Tractor meet Al Sadd at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex; Al-Ittihad host Al Gharafa at Alinma Stadium; Al-Nassr play Al Shamal at Al-Awwal Park; and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya face Shabab Al Ahli at Basra International Stadium. Neftchi meet Al Ahli at Esteghlal, while Al Wasl host Al Hilal at Zabeel Stadium.

All eight final league-phase fixtures are scheduled for 15 February at 21:15 Saudi Arabia time (22:15 UAE): Al-Qadsiah v Neftchi at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium, Al Shamal v Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya at Al Bayt, Al Hilal v Pakhtakor at Kingdom Arena, Al Gharafa v Tractor at Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Shabab Al Ahli v Al-Nassr at Rashid Stadium, Esteghlal v Al Wasl at Basra International Stadium, Al Sadd v Al-Ittihad at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, and Al Ahli v Al Ain at Alinma Stadium.

Broadcast details

beIN SPORTS hold the exclusive broadcast rights in the Middle East and have allocated beIN SPORTS HD 1 and beIN SPORTS HD 2 to the tournament.

Qatar’s Al Kass channels are also listed as showing the AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26, specifically on Al Kass 5 and Al Kass 6. Online viewers can use the TOD TV application to watch live coverage.

For a secure and fast internet connection, the source also promotes NordVPN with an invitation to subscribe.