The 2021 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs were played from 7 April to 23 June 2021. [1] A total of 15 teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide seven of the 40 places in the group stage of the 2021 AFC Champions League. [2]
The following 15 teams, split into two regions (West Region and East Region), entered the qualifying play-offs, consisting of two rounds:
| Region | Teams entering in play-off round | Teams entering in preliminary round |
|---|---|---|
| West Region | ||
| East Region |
In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary. [2]
The schedule of each round was as follows. [1] [5] [6] On 11 March 2021, the AFC announced that the preliminary round and play-off round matches in the East Region, which were originally scheduled to be played on 7 April and 14 April 2021, had been postponed to June/July 2021, and were played in centralised venues of their respective group stage matches. [7]
| Round | West Region | East Region |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary round | Not played | |
| Play-off round | 7 and 10 April 2021 | 23 June 2021 |
The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined based on each team's association ranking and their seeding within their association, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match in the West Region. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie. The eight winners of the play-off round (four each from both West Region and East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 32 direct entrants. [8]
| Preliminary round | Play-off round | ||||||||
 Al-Gharafa | 0 | ||||||||
 AGMK (a.e.t.) | 1 | ||||||||
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya advanced to Group B.| Preliminary round | Play-off round | ||||||||
 Al-Wehda | 1 (2) | ||||||||
| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (p) | 1 (3) | ||||||||
| Preliminary round | Play-off round | ||||||||
 Foolad | 4 | ||||||||
 Al-Ain | 0 | ||||||||
| Preliminary round | Play-off round | ||||||||
| Al-Wahda | 2 | ||||||||
| Al-Zawraa | 1 | ||||||||
Kaya–Iloilo advanced to Group F.| Preliminary round | Play-off round | ||||||||
 Shanghai Port | 0 | ||||||||
 Brisbane Roar (w/o) | — | Kaya–Iloilo | 1 | ||||||
| Kaya–Iloilo | — | ||||||||
Cerezo Osaka advanced to Group J after Shan United and Melbourne City withdrew from the competition.| Preliminary round | Play-off round | ||||||||
| Cerezo Osaka (w/o) | — | ||||||||
| Melbourne City (w/o) | — | Melbourne City | — | ||||||
 Shan United | — | ||||||||
Pohang Steelers and 
Ratchaburi Mitr Phol advanced to Group G after Jiangsu ceased operations.| Preliminary round | Play-off round | ||||||||
| Pohang Steelers | — | ||||||||
| Ratchaburi Mitr Phol | — | ||||||||
Daegu FC advanced to Group I and Chiangrai United advanced to Group H.| Preliminary round | Play-off round | ||||||||
| Daegu FC | — | ||||||||
| Chiangrai United | — | ||||||||
A total of two teams will play in the preliminary round.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Roar | Cancelled [note 2] | Kaya–Iloilo |
| Melbourne City | Cancelled [note 4] | Shan United |
| Brisbane Roar | Cancelled [note 2] | Kaya–Iloilo |
|---|---|---|
| Stats Report |
| Melbourne City | Cancelled [note 4] | Shan United |
|---|---|---|
| Stats Report |
A total of 14 teams played in the preliminary round 2: 13 teams which entered in this round, and one winner of the preliminary round.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Gharafa | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | AGMK |
| Al-Wehda | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–3 p) | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
| Foolad | 4–0 | Al-Ain |
| Al-Wahda | 2–1 | Al-Zawraa |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Port | 0–1 | Kaya–Iloilo |
| Cerezo Osaka | Cancelled [note 2] | Melbourne City |
| Pohang Steelers | Cancelled [note 3] | Ratchaburi Mitr Phol |
| Daegu FC | Cancelled [note 2] | Chiangrai United |
| Al-Gharafa | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | AGMK |
|---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
| Al-Wehda | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
|---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
|
| Penalties | ||
| 2–3 | ||
| Foolad | 4–0 | Al-Ain |
|---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
| Cerezo Osaka | Cancelled [note 2] | Melbourne City |
|---|---|---|
| Stats Report |
| Daegu FC | Cancelled [note 2] | Chiangrai United |
|---|---|---|
| Stats Report |
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