2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite
The 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite will be the 45th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation, and the third under the AFC Champions League Elite title.
The quarter-finals onwards will be played as single-match knockout ties from 23 April to 1 May 2026. Saudi Arabia have provisionally been awarded the hosting rights for Finals until 2029. The AFC will confirm hosting arrangements after assessing Saudi Arabia’s performance as host following the conclusion of the 2026 Finals. The tournament winner will qualify for the 2027 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. Additionally, the winner will enter the league stage of the 2027–28 AFC Champions League Elite, if they have not already qualified through their domestic performance.
Association team allocation
The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2024–25 competitions were completed.Teams
The following teams will also qualify to the West or East region unless they have already qualified via their domestic performance.| Team | Qualifying method | |
| 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite winners | ||
| 2025–26 AFC Champions League Two winners |
;Notes