Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially confirmed Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as the host city for the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 Finals Stage, with the showpiece event set to run from April 16 to 25, 2026.
Continuing the successful blueprint introduced last season, the Finals will once again be staged at two world-class venues — King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium — both of which also hosted the 2025 ACL Elite Finals.
The ACL Elite Finals will feature a centralised knockout format, where Asia’s top eight clubs will battle in single-leg ties for continental supremacy.
- Quarter-finals: April 16–18
- Semi-finals: April 20–21
- Final: April 25
Each stadium will host two Quarter-final matches and one Semi-final, while the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium will once again stage the Final, marking the second consecutive season it hosts Asian club football’s biggest night.
At stake is not only continental glory, but also a USD 12 million prize purse, underlining the AFC’s continued push to elevate the competition’s prestige and commercial appeal.
With two matchdays remaining in the League Stage, the race to reach Jeddah is intensifying.
- In the East, Japan’s Vissel Kobe currently lead the standings with 13 points.
- In the West, Saudi powerhouse Al Hilal SFC sit comfortably at the summit after winning all six of their matches so far.
Before the Finals, the competition will move into the Round of 16, featuring two-legged ties:
- West: March 2–3 & March 9–10
- East: March 3–4 & March 10–11
A draw on March 25 will then determine the Final Eight’s pathway to glory in Jeddah.
With elite infrastructure, proven organisational success and global spotlight, Jeddah is once again primed to deliver a blockbuster conclusion to Asia’s premier club competition — as the continent’s best chase history at the ACL Elite Finals 2026.
Credit Photo : HongZheng Lim/SNE-Photo
