The draw for the league stage of the AFC Champions League for the elite season 2026-2027, which was held today, Tuesday, in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, resulted in strong confrontations for Saudi and Arab clubs, in an edition that witnesses the participation of 32 teams, with 16 clubs in the West region and the same in the East.
The tournament witnesses the participation of five Saudi clubs, namely Al-Hilal, Al-Nasr, Al-Ahly and Al-Ittihad. And Al-Qadisiyah.
The draw for the Gharb region was as follows:
**First level:** Al-Ahly, Al-Ain, Al-Sadd, Esteghlal Tehran.
**Second level:** Al-Nasr, Shabab Al-Ahly, Air Force, Neftchi.
**Third level:** Al-Hilal, Al-Gharafa, Al-Wasl, Tractor.
**Fourth level:** Al-Ittihad, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Shamal, and Pakhtakor.
Al-Nasr will host Al-Sadd, Neftchi, Al-Wasl, and Al-Shamal, while it will host Al-Ain, Shabab Al-Ahly, Al-Gharafa, and Pakhtakor.
As for Al-Hilal, it will host Al-Ain, Shabab Al-Ahly, Al-Gharafa, and Pakhtakor, while away from home, it will face Al-Sadd, Neftchi, Al-Wasl, and Al-Shamal.
Ahly will play at home against Al-Ain. And Al-Ittihad will host Al-Ain, Shabab Al-Ahly, Al-Gharafa and Pakhtakor, while outside its stadium it will face Al-Sadd, Neftchi, Al-Wasl and Al-Shamal.
As for Al-Qadisiyah, it will host Al-Sadd, Neftchi, Al-Wasl and Al-Shamal, while it will host Al-Ain, Shabab Al-Ahly and Al-Gharafa. And Pakhtakor.
Each team will play 8 matches in the league stage, with four matches at home and the same away from home, with two teams from each level facing each other, and not facing a team from the same country.
The teams in the top eight positions from each region qualify for the round of 16, while the clubs occupying positions from ninth to sixteen are eliminated from the competition.
The round of 16 matches are held using a system. Home and away, where the leader will meet the eighth-placed team, the second team will meet the seventh-place team, the third team will meet the sixth-place team, and the fourth team will meet the fifth team.
The league stage will start on September 14 and 15, 2026, then the second round will take place on October 12 and 13, the third on October 26 and 27, and the fourth on November 2 and 3.
The fifth round will be held on November 23 and 24, and the sixth on November 7 and 8. December, before completing the league stage with the seventh and eighth rounds on February 8 and 9 and February 15 and 16, 2027.
The round of 16 is scheduled to be held during March 2027, while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the final rounds, starting from the quarter-finals until the final match.
The final rounds will be held in a group system in Saudi Arabia during the period from April 23 to May 1, 2027, to determine the champion of the new version of the tournament. Championship.
Attention is turning in particular to the Saudi clubs, after the draw drew Al-Hilal against Al-Ain, and Al-Nasr against Al-Sadd, while Al-Ahly, Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadisiyah await strong confrontations in the competition for the elite AFC Champions League title.