AFC Cup 2026/27

The AFC Cup is the second-tier continental club competition in Asia, established by the Asian Football Confederation in 2004. Following significant structural changes in 2024, the tournament was rebranded as the AFC Champions League Two to clarify the hierarchy below the top-tier AFC Champions League Elite and above the third-tier AFC Challenge League.

The competition features clubs from the twelve highest-ranked member associations in both the East and West regions. Qualification depends on the AFC Club Competitions Ranking. Nations ranked first through sixth send their highest-placed team that failed to reach the Elite tier, while associations ranked seventh through twelfth enter their top domestic club directly. Historically, the tournament has seen success from Kuwaiti clubs, with Kuwait SC and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya sharing the record for most titles won.

The format comprises a group stage involving 32 teams split into eight groups of four across both regions. This progresses to a knockout phase where the Round of 16, Quarter-finals, and Semi-finals are contested as two-legged ties. The Final is a single match held at a neutral venue. The winner of the AFC Champions League Two earns an indirect preliminary stage slot for the following season’s Elite tier, provided they have not already qualified through domestic performance.

Unlike the top tier, there is no automatic relegation into this competition. Clubs enter the second tier simply by failing to qualify for the Elite level. Similarly, there is no relegation from the group stage to the third tier, although teams eliminated in the preliminary playoffs drop into the AFC Challenge League. The current champions are Gamba Osaka, who secured the title by defeating Al-Nassr in the 2025–26 final. The primary distinction between the two main competitions remains the status of the participating clubs and the associated prize money, which is significantly lower in the second tier.