2021 AFC Champions League final

Last updated
2021 AFC Champions League final
Event 2021 AFC Champions League
Al-Hilal Pohang Steelers
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svgFlag of South Korea.svg
20
Date23 November 2021 (2021-11-23)
Venue King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh
Man of the Match Moussa Marega (Al-Hilal)
Referee Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates) [1]
Attendance50,171
WeatherClear
25 °C (77 °F)
47% humidity
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The 2021 AFC Champions League final was the final of the 2021 AFC Champions League, the 40th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 19th under the AFC Champions League title.

Contents

The final was contested as a single match between Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia and Pohang Steelers from South Korea. Prior to the match, both teams were joint most successful teams in the AFC Champions League, with three titles each. Al-Hilal won the match 2–0 and clinched their fourth title, becoming the outright most successful team in the history of the competition. As Asian champions, they also qualified for the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Teams

In the following table, the finals until 2002 were in the Asian Club Championship era, and since 2003 in the AFC Champions League era.

TeamRegionPrevious finals appearances (bold indicates winners)
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Al-Hilal West Region (Zone: WAFF)7 (1986, [A] 1987, [B] 1991, 2000, 2014, 2017, 2019 )
Flag of South Korea.svg Pohang Steelers East Region (Zone: EAFF)3 (1997, 1998, 2009 )
Notes
  1. ^
    The 1986 final was played in a four-team round-robin format, with Al-Hilal finishing as runners-up.
  2. ^
    Al-Hilal were unable to participate in the 1987 final and were declared runners-up.

Venue

On 20 October 2021, the AFC announced that Mrsool Park would host the final. It was later changed to King Fahd International Stadium, also in Riyadh.

Road to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away; *: played in centralized group locations).

Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Al-Hilal Round Flag of South Korea.svg Pohang Steelers
OpponentResult Group stage OpponentResult
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg AGMK 2–2*Matchday 1 Flag of Thailand.svg Ratchaburi Mitr Phol 2–0*
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Shabab Al-Ahli 2–0*Matchday 2 Flag of Japan.svg Nagoya Grampus 0–3*
Flag of Tajikistan.svg Istiklol 3–1*Matchday 3 Flag of Malaysia.svg Johor Darul Ta'zim 4–1*
Flag of Tajikistan.svg Istiklol 1–4*Matchday 4 Flag of Malaysia.svg Johor Darul Ta'zim 2–0*
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg AGMK 3–0*Matchday 5 Flag of Thailand.svg Ratchaburi Mitr Phol 0–0*
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Shabab Al-Ahli 0–2*Matchday 6 Flag of Japan.svg Nagoya Grampus 1–1*
Group A runners-up
PosTeam
PldPts
1 Flag of Tajikistan.svg Istiklol 610
2 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Al-Hilal (H)610
3 Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Shabab Al-Ahli 67
4 Flag of Uzbekistan.svg AGMK 67
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
Final standings Group G runners-up
PosTeam
PldPts
1 Flag of Japan.svg Nagoya Grampus 616
2 Flag of South Korea.svg Pohang Steelers 611
3 Flag of Malaysia.svg Johor Darul Ta'zim 64
4 Flag of Thailand.svg Ratchaburi Mitr Phol (H)62
Source: AFC
(H) Hosts
OpponentResult Knockout stage OpponentResult
Flag of Iran.svg Esteghlal 2–0 (A)Round of 16 Flag of Japan.svg Cerezo Osaka 1–0 (A)
Flag of Iran.svg Persepolis 3–0 (H)Quarter-finals Flag of Japan.svg Nagoya Grampus 3–0 (H)
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Al-Nassr 2–1 (A)Semi-finals Flag of South Korea.svg Ulsan Hyundai 1–1 ( a.e.t. )(5–4 p) (A)

Format

The final was played as a single match. If tied after regulation time, extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out would have been used to decide the winning team. [2]

Match

Al-Hilal Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg 2–0 Flag of South Korea.svg Pohang Steelers
Live Report
Stats Report
King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh
Attendance: 50,171
Referee: Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates)
Kit left arm alhilal21h.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body alhilal21h.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm alhilal21h.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Al-Hilal
Kit left arm pohang21h.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body pohang21h.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm pohang21h.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts pohang21h.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Pohang Steelers
GK1 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Abdullah Al-Mayouf
RB2 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Mohammed Al-Breik
CB20 Flag of South Korea.svg Jang Hyun-soo
CB32 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Muteb Al-Mufarrij
LB16 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Nasser Al-Dawsari
CM7 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Salman Al-Faraj (c)
CM28 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Mohamed Kanno Yellow card.svg 83'Sub off.svg 90+4'
RW17 Flag of Mali.svg Moussa Marega Yellow card.svg 26'
AM15 Flag of Brazil.svg Matheus Pereira Yellow card.svg 84'
LW29 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Salem Al-Dawsari
CF18 Flag of France.svg Bafétimbi Gomis Sub off.svg 85'
Substitutes:
GK31 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Habib Al-Wotayan
GK33 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Abdullah Al-Jadaani
DF12 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Yasser Al-Shahrani Sub on.svg 85'
DF23 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Madallah Al-Olayan
DF70 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Mohammed Jahfali Sub on.svg 90+4'
MF43 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Musab Al-Juwayr
MF56 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Mohammed Al-Qahtani
MF88 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Hamad Al-Yami
FW11 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saleh Al-Shehri
FW14 Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Abdullah Al-Hamdan
Manager:
Flag of Portugal.svg Leonardo Jardim
Al-Hilal vs Pohang Steelers 2021 AFC Champions League Final.svg
GK21 Flag of South Korea.svg Lee Jun
RB32 Flag of South Korea.svg Park Seung-wook
CB13 Flag of South Korea.svg Gwon Wan-gyu Yellow card.svg 42'
CB2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alex Grant Yellow card.svg 20'
LB10 Flag of South Korea.svg Kang Sang-woo (c)
CM17 Flag of South Korea.svg Shin Kwang-hoon
CM57 Flag of South Korea.svg Lee Soo-bin Sub off.svg 46'
RW8 Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Mario Kvesić Sub off.svg 46'
AM6 Flag of South Korea.svg Sin Jin-ho
LW77 Flag of South Korea.svg Lim Sang-hyub Yellow card.svg 67'
CF82 Flag of Colombia.svg Manuel Palacios
Substitutes:
GK41 Flag of South Korea.svg Cho Sung-hoon
DF3 Flag of South Korea.svg Lee Kwang-jun
DF4 Flag of South Korea.svg Jeon Min-gwang Yellow card.svg 53'Sub on.svg 46'
DF30 Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Ryun-seong
MF14 Flag of South Korea.svg Oh Beom-seok
MF37 Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Ho-nam
MF38 Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Jin-hyun
MF79 Flag of South Korea.svg Go Young-joon Sub on.svg 46'Sub off.svg 81'
FW20 Flag of South Korea.svg Lee Ho-jae Sub on.svg 81'
FW25 Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Seong-ju
Manager:
Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Gi-dong

Man of the Match:
Moussa Marega (Al-Hilal)

Assistant referees: [1]
Mohamed Al-Hammadi (United Arab Emirates)
Hasan Al-Mahri (United Arab Emirates)
Fourth official: [1]
Adel Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates)
Video assistant referee: [1]
Ammar Al-Jeneibi (United Arab Emirates)
Assistant video assistant referees: [1]
Omar Mohamed Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates)
Hanna Hattab (Syria)

Match rules [2]

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra time if tied.
  • Penalty shoot-out if still tied after extra time.
  • Ten named substitutes, of which up to five may be used, with a sixth allowed in extra time. [note 1]

Notes

  1. ↑ Each team was only given three opportunities to make substitutions, with a fourth opportunity in extra time, excluding substitutions made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.

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    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 "طاقم دولي إماراتي يُدير نهائي دوري أبطال آسيا 2021" (in Arabic). UAE Football Confederation. 29 October 2021.
    2. 1 2 "AFC Champions League 2021 Competition Regulations" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
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