2025–26 AFC Challenge League

The 2025–26 AFC Challenge League will be the 12th edition of the Asia's third-tier continental club football competition, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the second under the AFC Challenge League title.[1][2] The winner will be given a direct slot for the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two group stage, if they haven't already qualified through their domestic performance.

2025–26 AFC Challenge League
Tournament details
TeamsCompetition proper: 20 (from 27 associations)
2026–27

Association team allocation

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The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2023–24 competitions were completed.[3][4]

Participation for 2025–26 AFC Challenge League
Participating
Not participating

Teams

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Notes
  1. ^
    Turkmenistan (TKM): Arkadag could not qualify for the Champions League 2, as they only have an AFC Challenge League license.

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Asian Champions League to relaunch with fewer teams and more prize money in 2024–25 season". AP News. August 14, 2023.
  2. ^ "AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League". the-AFC.
  3. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  4. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking 2024". FootyRankings. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.