The Asian Football Confederation has announced the rankings for clubs participating in the 2024-2025 AFC Champions League Elite.
This will be the inaugural edition of the elite AFC Champions League, featuring 24 clubs divided into 12 from the West and 12 from the East.
The first tier includes: Al Ain, Al Hilal, Al Sadd, Persepolis, Pakhtakor, and Al Shorta.
The second tier includes: Al Nassr, Al Rayyan, Esteghlal, Al Wasl, Al Ahli, and the winner of the Al Gharafa or Shabab Al Ahli match.
Each team will face 8 opponents in their group (4 home and 4 away), while they will not face 3 other teams.
Two teams from the same country cannot meet in the group stage, meaning Al Hilal and Al Nassr will not face each other, but the Riyadh derby could happen from the round of 16 onwards.
The draw will take place next Friday at 9:00 AM Mecca time in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
