AFC Champions League – The pinnacle of Asian club football
AFC Champions League is the highest level club tournament in Asian football, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Starting in 2002 under the old name of Asian Club Championship, the tournament quickly asserted its position by gathering the strongest and most important clubs in the region. Over the past two decades, the AFC Champions League has become an attractive tournament, contributing to top matches and raising the brand of football teams in the continent. Together 78WIN Find out more about the tournament below!
History and development of the AFC Champions League
Learn about the history and development of the AFC Champions League.
The AFC Champions League was restructured in 2002 to replace the Asian Club Championship, Asian Cup Winners’ Cup and other regional competitions. The main objective was to establish a professional platform among Asia’s top clubs, to improve the quality of play and attract media and commercial investment.
The tournament has grown from a modest 8–12 teams to a 40-team group stage with teams from member associations such as Japan, South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, Southeast Asian and West Asian nations. The competition is divided into two zones, East Asia and West Asia, with the qualifying round, group stage and knockout rounds up to the final being played over two legs, except for the single-match final.
Competition format of the tournament
Qualifying round
Before entering the group stage, teams must go through preliminary rounds based on national coefficients and rankings in the national championship. The number of prioritized teams from Japan, Korea, China, Saudi Arabia… is greater than the weaker countries.
Group stage
The group stage has 40 teams divided into 10 groups: 5 East Asia groups, 5 West Asia groups. Teams play two round-robin matches to determine the top two teams in each group. The best runners-up or play-off teams will qualify for the knockout round.
Knockout round
From the round of 16, teams move into regional groups. Then, from the quarter-finals onwards, the winners of the East Asia and West Asia zones meet in the final. The final is played over two legs and goal difference is decisive.
Top Asian clubs
Guangzhou Evergrande (China)
The club won two consecutive championships in 2013 and 2015 under a great coach and has many naturalized players. This is the first team to help the tournament attract strong investment from China.
Urawa Red Diamonds and Kashima Antlers (Japan)
Two Japanese clubs have been in the spotlight with multiple championships; Urawa won in 2007 and 2017 and Kashima won in 2018. They stand out for their methodical, professional organization and effective youth training.
Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
As one of the strongest clubs in West Asia, Al Hilal has won many titles (2019, 2021) and is a formidable candidate in the AFC Champions League thanks to its large investment in squad and finance.
Pohang Steelers (South Korea) and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
The two Korean teams have a tradition on the continental stage. Jeonbuk won the championship in 2006 and 2016; Pohang won the championship in 2009 and went far many times before that, showing traditional strength.
Classic finals
Some finals have had outstanding results.
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Al Hilal (2019)
The home-and-away clash between Japan and Saudi Arabia, where Urawa won on away goals, symbolized the spiritual and tactical triumph of East Asian football.
Guangzhou Evergrande vs Al Ahli (2015)
The final between China and Saudi Arabia, where Guangzhou won the title after a convincing victory over the West Asian representative, marked a major shift in Asia.
Kashima Antlers vs Los Angeles galaxy (2013)
Although this was an intercontinental final, the Asian Champions Cup aspect made the cup more attractive in terms of scope, facing off between Japan and the North American representative.
Commercial and communication value
Television copyright
The AFC Champions League is broadcast in dozens of countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas, contributing to a large increase in revenue. Matches are broadcast on television, YouTube, OTT and official social networks.
Sponsors and Brands
Famous sponsors such as AFC, Emirates, Toyota are official partners. They provide large sponsorships, helping to raise the tournament’s profile and attract a large number of fans.
Economic impact on participating clubs
The winning club receives a significant amount of prize money, in addition to ticket sales, sponsorship, copyright sales and other commercial business. This contributes to increasing the budget and investment for domestic football teams.
Ambassador and youth football development
The AFC Champions League is a platform for young South Asian players to prove themselves. Teams like the J-League and K-League use the tournament to develop talent, preparing players for top competition and scouting by top European clubs.
Challenges and development directions
Improve professional quality
To compete with club and international tournaments like the AFC Asian Cup and World Cup, I have to improve the quality of refereeing, coaching, VAR and match organization techniques.
East-West Asia Balance
Currently, East Asian clubs like Japan and Korea have the advantage, but AFC needs to support more West Asian and Southeast Asian teams to balance the forces and create more diverse competition.
Brand expansion and development
Other continental Champions Leagues, such as CONCACAF, have a “Club Passport” award, opening up wider opportunities. The AFC needs to innovate, integrate media content, increase commercial partnerships and global coverage.
Conclude
AFC Champions League is the clearest mark of Asian club football on the world map. With the attraction of financial investment and high expertise, the tournament is increasingly affirming its value to fans, players and commercial partners. Expanding the scale, improving the quality and strengthening the media brand will help the tournament continue to grow strongly in the next decade. Access now 78win thai to be able to regularly follow upcoming matches.