![]() | |
Organising body | AFC |
---|---|
Founded | 2004 (rebranded in 2024) |
Region | Asia |
Number of teams | 32 (group stage) |
Qualifier for | AFC Champions League Elite |
Related competitions | AFC Champions League Elite (1st tier) AFC Challenge League (3rd tier) |
Current champions | ![]() |
Most successful club(s) | ![]() ![]() (3 titles each, AFC Cup) |
![]() |
The AFC Champions League Two (previously known as the AFC Cup, abbreviated as the ACL Two) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is the second-tier competition of Asian club football, ranked below the AFC Champions League Elite and above the AFC Challenge League.
The tournament was founded in 2004 as the AFC Cup, which was played primarily among clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying slots to the top-tier AFC Champions League. In 2024, the AFC introduced a revamped second-tier club competition under the name AFC Champions League Two, with the records and statistics of the AFC Cup transferring to the new competition.
Clubs qualify for the competition based on their performance in national leagues and cup competitions. Participation in the competition is open to clubs from the top 12 nations in the East and the West region based on the AFC club competitions ranking. The participant from each nation ranked 1–6 in each region is the highest-placed club in that nation that did not qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite. The nations ranked 7–12 in each region enter their top club(s) directly to the AFC Champions League Two.
The current champions are Central Coast Mariners, who defeated Al-Ahed in the 2024 final. Al-Kuwait and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya are the most successful clubs in the competition's history, having won three titles each. Clubs from Kuwait have won four titles, making them the most successful nation in the competition.
Season | Winners |
---|---|
AFC Cup | |
2004 | ![]() |
2005 | ![]() |
2006 | ![]() |
2007 | ![]() |
2008 | ![]() |
2009 | ![]() |
2010 | ![]() |
2011 | ![]() |
2012 | ![]() |
2013 | ![]() |
2014 | ![]() |
2015 | ![]() |
2016 | ![]() |
2017 | ![]() |
2018 | ![]() |
2019 | ![]() |
2021 | ![]() |
2022 | ![]() |
2023–24 | ![]() |
AFC Champions League Two | |
2024–25 |
The AFC Cup began in 2004 as a second-tier competition to relate back to the AFC Champions League as 14 countries that had developing status competed in the first competition with 18 teams being nominated. The winners and three runners-up would then head to the knock-out stage where it was a random draw in who was going to play. Al-Jaish took the first AFC Cup after they defeated fellow Syrian opponents Al-Wahda on away goals.
In 2005, 18 teams competed from nine nations with the nations still being allowed to choose from one or two teams entering. After Syrian teams left the AFC Cup to try at the AFC Champions League for four years, Al-Faisaly defeated Nejmeh in the final. With it, Jordanian teams would win the next two AFC Cup seasons with Bahrain joining the league while Bangladesh was relegated to the AFC President's Cup until the tournament's abolition in 2014.
Al-Muharraq would break the trend in 2008 as they competed in the last two-legged final before it headed back into a one-leg system, a rule that was never changed till the termination of this tournament.
On 23 December 2022, it was announced that the AFC competition structure would change from the established formats from the 2024–25 season. A new second-tier tournament called the AFC Champions League Two would be introduced. [1] Meanwhile, a new third-tier competition was also launched under the name AFC Challenge League. [2] [3] [4]
On 24 May 2024, AFC announced that the records and statistics of the preceding AFC club competitions will be recognised and integrated within the revamped club competitions, with the data from the AFC Cup transferring to the AFC Champions League Two. [5]
Some changes were applied in terms of teams and format for the 2017 AFC Cup. A total of 36 teams participated in the group stage (12 each from West Asia and ASEAN, and 4 each from East Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia). The final is played as a one-off match.
The allocation of group stage teams by member country was listed below; asterisks represent occasions where at least one team was eliminated in qualification for the group stage. Those who had not reached the group stage but had only played in qualification are not bolded.
Associations | Spots | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023–24 | |
East | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 1 | 1 | 1* | 1 | 1 | 2* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 1 | 0* | 0* | 0* | 1 | 0* | 1 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
ASEAN | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | Part of OFC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 0* | 0 | 0* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1* | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0* | 0* | 1 | 1* | 0* | 1 | 0* |
![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1* | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0± | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 1 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Total | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
South | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 1 | 1* | 1* | 1 | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0* |
![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1* | 2 | 2 | 2* |
![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1* | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1* | 1* | 0 | 2 | 1* | 1* | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 0 | 0* | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0* | 0* | 0* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 0 | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0 |
Total | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Central | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0* | 0* | 2 | 1* | 1* | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1* | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1* |
![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1* | 1* | 1* | 2 | 1* | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
West | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
![]() | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1* | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1* | 1* | 0 | 2 | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 1* | 2 | 0* | 0* | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1* | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2* |
![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0* | 0* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 6 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
Finals | 18 | 18 | 20 | 24 | 20 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 36 | 39 | 37 | 37 | 36 |
Qualifying | 18 | 18 | 20 | 24 | 20 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 41 | 40 | 50 | 44 | 43 | 48 | 43 | 43 | 49 |
The prize money for the 2023–24 AFC Cup: [6]
Phase | Purse (USD) | Travel subsidy (per match) |
---|---|---|
Preliminary stage | N/A | $40,000 |
Play-offs | N/A | $40,000 |
Group stage | N/A | $40,000 |
Knockout stage | Zonal champions: $100,000 | $40,000 |
Final | Champions: $1.5 million Runners-up: $750,000 | $40,000 |
The tournament has been sponsored by a group of multinational corporations, in contrast to the single main sponsor typically found in national top-flight leagues.
The tournament's main sponsors were: [7]
Club | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 3 | 1 | 2009, 2012, 2013 | 2011 |
![]() | 3 | 0 | 2016, 2017, 2018 | |
![]() | 2 | 1 | 2005, 2006 | 2007 |
![]() | 2 | 1 | 2008, 2021 | 2006 |
![]() | 1 | 2 | 2014 | 2010, 2013 |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 2011 | 2021 |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 2019 | 2023–24 |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 2004 | |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 2007 | |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 2010 | |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 2015 | |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 2022 | |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 2023–24 | |
![]() | 0 | 2 | 2012, 2014 | |
![]() | 0 | 2 | 2015, 2017 | |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 2004 | |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 2005 | |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 2008 | |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 2009 | |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 2016 | |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 2018 | |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 2019 | |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 2022 |
Nation | Titles | Runners-up | Total |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | 4 | 3 | 7 |
![]() | 3 | 2 | 5 |
![]() | 3 | 1 | 4 |
![]() | 2 | 2 | 4 |
![]() | 2 | 1 | 3 |
![]() | 1 | 3 | 4 |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 2 |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 2 |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 1 |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 1 |
![]() | 0 | 2 | 2 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in most countries and territories in Asia. The AFC was formed in 1954. It has 47 members. The Asian Ladies Football Confederation (ALFC) was the section of AFC that managed women's association football in Asia. The group was independently founded in April 1968 in a meeting involving Taiwan, British Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. In 1986, ALFC merged with AFC.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) (in French Confédération Africaine de Football) is the administrative and controlling body for association football, beach soccer, and futsal in Africa. It was established on 8 February 1957 at the Grand Hotel in Khartoum, Sudan by the national football associations of: Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa. following formal discussions between the aforementioned associations at the FIFA Congress held on 7 June 1956 at Avenida Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal.
The AFC Champions League is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition in Asian football, played by the national league champions of their national associations.
The AFC Challenge League is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. The competition is played among clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying slots to the top-tier AFC Champions League Elite or the second-tier AFC Champions League Two, based on the AFC club competitions ranking.
Kuwait Sports Club is a Kuwaiti professional football club based in Kuwait City. Their football team has won Kuwait Premier League 18 times and has won over 50 trophies. The club plays in the Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium located in Kaifan, which is the 5th largest stadium in Kuwait. It is the first Kuwaiti club to ever win an Asian title, winning the 2009 AFC Cup, 2012 AFC Cup and 2013 AFC Cup.
The 2010 AFC Cup was the seventh edition of the AFC Cup, a competition among clubs from member nations of the Asian Football Confederation.
Records of the Australian A-League Men clubs in continental club football competitions organised by the Asian Football Confederation. The Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners are the only Australian sides to have won an AFC competition, having won the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup respectively. While Adelaide United are the only other Australian side to have made a final. Melbourne Victory have the most tournament appearances in the AFC Champions League of any Australian club, with 9 appearances, and the most matches played of any Australian club, with 54 matches played.
The 2016 AFC Cup was the 13th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2018 AFC Champions League was the 37th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 16th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2018 AFC Cup was the 15th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2019 AFC Champions League was the 38th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 17th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2020 AFC Champions League was the 39th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 18th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2020 AFC Cup was an abandoned season of the AFC Cup which was the 17th edition of the competition, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2021 AFC Cup was the 18th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2021 AFC Champions League was the 40th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 19th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2022 AFC Champions League was the 41st edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 20th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2022 AFC Cup was the 19th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2023–24 AFC Cup was the 20th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the final edition under the AFC Cup title, as the competition was revamped under the name AFC Champions League Two starting in 2024–25. This was the first AFC Cup season to have a two-year (autumn-to-spring) schedule, unlike the previous all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule.
The 2023–24 AFC Champions League was the 42nd edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 21st and final under the AFC Champions League title, as the competition would be rebranded as the AFC Champions League Elite starting in 2024–25.
The 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two will be the 21st edition of the Asia's second-tier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).