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2025–26 AFC Challenge League#Preliminary stage

{{Infobox international football competition

| tourney_name = AFC Challenge League

| year = 2025–26

| image =

| size =

| caption =

| dates = 12 August 2025 – 9 May 2026

| num_teams = Competition proper: 20

| associations = 27

| champion_other =

| count =

| second_other =

| matches =

| goals =

| attendance =

| top_scorer =

| player =

| prevseason = 2024–25

| nextseason = 2026–27

|prevseason2=}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/asian-champions-league-benzema-neymar-ec1c9da0e1d04ffdd3a6dcf52694b2c2|title=Asian Champions League to relaunch with fewer teams and more prize money in 2024–25 season|date=August 14, 2023|agency=Associated Press}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/about_afc/committees/executive_committee/news/afc_executive_committee_approves_biggest_prize_purse_in_asian_club_football_history_from_202425_announces_afc_women’s_champions_league.html|title=AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League|website=the-AFC.com|publisher=Asian Football Confederation}}

Arkadag are the reigning champions, but will not be able to defend their title as the winner of the Challenge League automatically qualifies for the Champions League Two Group stage

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.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

Association team allocation

The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2023–24 competitions were completed.{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_ranking.html|title=AFC Club Competitions Ranking|website=the-AFC.com|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|access-date=10 December 2021|archive-date=7 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107182849/https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_ranking.html/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://footyrankings.com/crank2024/|title=AFC Club Competitions Ranking 2024|work=FootyRankings|date=26 May 2024|access-date=26 May 2024}}

class="wikitable"
bgcolor=#f7f8ff colspan=2|Participation for 2025–26 AFC Challenge League
bgcolor=#90ee77 width=20|Participating
bgcolor=#ffcccc width=20|Not participating

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+West Region (3 groups)
colspan=2 rowspan=2|Rank

!rowspan=3 width=250|Member
association

!rowspan=3|Points

!colspan=2|Slots

rowspan=2|Group
stage

!rowspan=2|Play-off

{{small|Zone}}

!{{small|AFC}}

bgcolor=#90ee77

| —

—align=left|2025–26 AFC Champions League Two qualifying round losers

|—

20
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 11

19align=left|{{fba|TKM}}

|20.217

10
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 12

20align=left|{{fba|OMA}}

|20.048

10
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 13

21align=left|{{fba|LBN}}{{Cref2|LBN}}

|18.711

20
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 14

22align=left|{{fba|KUW}}{{Cref2|KUW}}

|17.818

11
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 15

24align=left|{{fba|BAN}}{{Cref2|BAN}}

|17.125

02
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 16

26align=left|{{fba|SYR}}{{Cref2|SYR}}

|15.972

02
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 17

27align=left|{{fba|KGZ}}{{Cref2|KGZ}}

|15.500

02
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 18

30align=left|{{fba|MDV}}

|10.490

01
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 19

35align=left|{{fba|PLE}}{{Cref2|PLE}}

|4.984

00
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 20

38align=left|{{fba|NEP}}{{Cref2|AFC}}

|0.917

00
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 21

39align=left|{{fba|SRI}}{{Cref2|AFC}}

|0.555

00
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 22

40align=left|{{fba|BHU}}

|0.505

01
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 23

42align=left|{{fba|AFG}}

|0.075

01
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 24

43align=left|{{fba|PAK}}{{Cref2|AFC}}

|0.000

00
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 24

43align=left|{{fba|YEM}}{{Cref2|AFC}}

|0.000

00
colspan=2 rowspan=2|Total

!colspan=2 rowspan=2|Participating associations: 11

!7

10
colspan=2|17

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+East Region (2 groups)
colspan=2 rowspan=2|Rank

!rowspan=3 width=250|Member
association

!rowspan=3|Points

!colspan=2|Slots

rowspan=2|Group
stage

!rowspan=2|Play-off

{{small|Zone}}

!{{small|AFC}}

bgcolor=#90ee77

| —

—align=left|2025–26 AFC Champions League Two qualifying round loser

|—

10
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 11

28align=left|{{fba|IDN}}

|14.816

10
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 12

29align=left|{{fba|PRK}}{{Cref2|AFC}}

|13.923

00
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 13

31align=left|{{fba|CAM}}{{Cref2|CAM}}

|10.375

11
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 14

32align=left|{{fba|MYA}}{{Cref2|MYA}}

|7.581

11
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 15

33align=left|{{fba|TPE}}{{Cref2|TPE}}

|6.978

02
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 16

34align=left|{{fba|MGL}}{{Cref2|MGL}}

|5.300

02
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 17

36align=left|{{fba|MAC}}{{Cref2|AFC}}

|3.770

00
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 18

37align=left|{{fba|LAO}}

|1.198

01
bgcolor=#90ee77

| 19

41align=left|{{fba|BRU}}

|0.100

01
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 20

43align=left|{{fba|GUM}}{{Cref2|AFC}}

|0.000

00
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 20

43align=left|{{fba|NMI}}{{Cref2|AFC}}

|0.000

00
bgcolor=#ffcccc

| 20

43align=left|{{fba|TLS}}{{Cref2|AFC}}

|0.000

00
colspan=2 rowspan=2|Total

!colspan=2 rowspan=2|Participating associations: 7

!4

8

|rowspan=2|2025–26 AFC Champions League Two qualifying round losers

|

|

{{fbaicon|TKM}} Altyn Asyr

|2024 Ýokary Liga third place{{Cref2|Note TKM}}

|1st

{{fbaicon|OMA}} Al-Shabab

|2024–25 Sultan Qaboos Cup winners

|1st

{{fbaicon|LBN}}

|2024–25 Lebanese Premier League champions

|1st

{{fbaicon|LBN}}

|2024–25 Lebanese FA Cup winners{{Cref2|Note LBN}}

|1st

{{fbaicon|KUW}} Al-Kuwait

|2024–25 Kuwaiti Premier League champions
Possible 2024–25 Kuwait Emir Cup winners

|1st

class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"

|+Qualifying play-off participants

width=25%|Team

!width=60%|Qualifying method

!width=16%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}

{{fbaicon|KUW}} Al-Arabi

|2024–25 Kuwaiti Premier League runners-up or 2024–25 Kuwait Emir Cup winners

|2nd {{small|(2024–25)}}

{{fbaicon|BAN}} Abahani Dhaka

|2024–25 Bangladesh Premier League runners-up{{Cref2|Note BAN}}

|6th {{small|(2013)}}

{{fbaicon|BAN}} Bashundhara Kings

|2024–25 Bangladesh Federation Cup winners

|2nd {{small|(2024–25)}}

{{fbaicon|SYR|2024}}

|2024–25 Syrian Premier League champions

|1st

{{fbaicon|SYR|2024}}

|2024–25 Syrian Cup winners{{Cref2|Note SYR}}

|

{{fbaicon|KGZ}} Abdysh-Ata Kant

|2024 Kyrgyz Premier League champions

|2nd {{small|(2024–25)}}

{{fbaicon|KGZ}} Muras United

|2024 Kyrgyzstan Cup winners

|1st

{{fbaicon|MDV}} Maziya

|2023 Dhivehi Premier League champions{{Cref2|Note MDV}}

|2nd {{small|(2024–25)}}

{{fbaicon|BHU}} Paro

|2024 Bhutan Premier League champions

|2nd {{small|(2024–25)}}

{{fbaicon|AFG}} Abu Muslim

|2024–25 Afghanistan Champions League champions

|1st

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"

|+East Region

|+Group stage direct entrants

width=25%|Team

!width=60%|Qualifying method

!width=16%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}

|2025–26 AFC Champions League Two qualifying round loser

|1st

{{fbaicon|INA}} Dewa United

|2024–25 Liga 1 runners-up

|1st

|{{fbaicon|CAM}} PKR Svay Rieng

|2024–25 Cambodian Premier League champions

|3rd {{small|(2024–25)}}

|{{fbaicon|MYA}} Shan United

|2024–25 Myanmar National League champions

|4th {{small|(2024–25)}}

class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"

|+Qualifying play-off participants

width=25%|Team

!width=60%|Qualifying method

!width=16%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}

{{fbaicon|CAM}} Phnom Penh Crown

|2024–25 Hun Sen Cup winners

|5th {{small|(2012)}}

{{fbaicon|MYA}} Yangon United

|2024–25 Myanmar National League runners-up

|1st

{{fbaicon|TPE}} Tainan City TSG

|2024 Taiwan Football Premier League champions

|2nd {{small|(2024–25)}}

{{fbaicon|TPE}} Futuro

|2024 Taiwan Football Premier League runners-up

|1st

{{fbaicon|MGL}}

|2024–25 Mongolian Premier League champions

|

{{fbaicon|MGL}}

|2024–25 Mongolian Premier League runners-up

|

{{fbaicon|LAO}} Ezra

|2024–25 Lao League 1 champions

|1st

{{fbaicon|BRU}} Kasuka

|2024–25 Brunei Super League champions

|1st

{{col-end}}

;Notes

{{notelist}}

{{Cnote2 Begin|liststyle=disc}}

{{Cnote2|Note LBN|Lebanon (LBN): If Al Ahed doesn't win the 2024–25 Lebanese FA Cup, or if the FA Cup is not held, the AFC Challenge League group stage spot will be passed to the Premier League runners-up.}}

{{Cnote2|Note SYR|Syria (SYR): If the same team wins the 2024–25 Syrian Premier League and the 2024–25 Syrian Cup, or if the Cup is not held or its winners is not an AFC licensed club, the AFC Challenge League playoff spot will be passed to the Premier League runners-up.}}

{{Cnote2|Note MDV|Maldives (MDV): The 2024 Dhivehi Premier League was not held. The teams from Maldives are determined by the results of the 2023 Dhivehi Premier League. Thus Maziya, the 2023 Dhivehi Premier League champions, participate in the AFC Challenge League group stage.}}

{{Cnote2|Note BAN|Bangladesh (BAN): Mohammedan, winner of the 2024–25 Bangladesh Premier League champions, failed to obtain an AFC license. Instead, the runners-up, Abahani Dhaka, qualified for the Challenge League qualifying

playoffs.}}

{{Cnote2|Note TKM|Turkmenistan (TKM): Arkadag, winner of the 2024 Ýokary Liga and 2024 Turkmenistan Cup, also won the 2024–25 AFC Challenge League and qualified for the Champions League Two group stage. The 2024 Ýokary Liga runners-up Ahal and third place Altyn Asyr qualify for the Champions League Two qualifying playoffs and Challenge League group stage respectively.}}

{{Cnote2 End}}

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows.{{Cite web |date=1 July 2023 |title=AFC Competitions Committee approves key decisions on reformatted competitions |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_competitions/news/afc_competitions_committee_approves_key_decisions_on_reformatted_competitions_1.html |website=the-AFC.com|publisher=Asian Football Confederation}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Stage

!Round

!Draw date

!West region

!East region

rowspan=3|{{nowrap|Preliminary stage}}

|{{nowrap|Preliminary stage 1}}

|rowspan=3|No draw{{efn|name="AFC"|Pre-determined format}}

|colspan=2|29 July 2025

Preliminary stage 2

|colspan=2|5 August 2025

Preliminary stage 3

|colspan=3|12 August 2025

rowspan=3|Group stage

|Matchday 1

| rowspan="3" | 24 August 2025

|25 October 2025

|26 October 2025

Matchday 2

|28 October 2025

|29 October 2025

Matchday 3

|31 October 2025

|1 November 2025

rowspan=3|Knockout stage

|Quarter-finals

| rowspan="3" |19 February 2026

|4 and 11 March 2026

|5 and 12 March 2026

Semi-finals

|7 and 15 April 2026

|9 and 16 April 2026

Final

|colspan=2|9 May 2026

{{Notelist}}

Preliminary stage

The bracket of the preliminary stage was determined based on each team's association ranking and their seeding within their association, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. The nine winners of the preliminary stage (five from West Region and four from East Region) advanced to the group stage and joined the 11 direct entrants.

{{#invoke:Sports series|main|legs=1|heading1=West Region|heading6=East Region

|Al-Arabi|KUW|12 August 2025|Abu Muslim|AFG

|Abahani Dhaka|BAN|12 August 2025|Paro|BHU

|Bashundhara Kings|BAN|12 August 2025|Maziya|MDV

|Syria 1|SYR|12 August 2025|Muras United|KGZ

|Syria 2|SYR|12 August 2025|Abdysh-Ata Kant|KGZ

|Kasuka|BRU|12 August 2025|Phnom Penh Crown|CAM

|Yangon United|MYA|12 August 2025|Ezra|LAO

|Tainan City TSG|TPE|12 August 2025|Mongolia 2|MGL

|Futuro|TPE|12 August 2025|Mongolia 1|MGL

}}

=West Region=

{{Football box

| id = West Q1

| date = {{Start date|2025|8|12|df=y}}

| time = {{UTZ||3}}

| team1 = Al-Arabi {{fbaicon|KUW}}

| score1 =

| team2 = {{fbaicon|AFG}} Abu Muslim

| score2 =

| report =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium =

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

----

{{Football box

| id = West Q2

| date = {{Start date|2025|8|12|df=y}}

| time = {{UTZ||6}}

| team1 = Abahani Dhaka {{fbaicon|BAN}}

| score1 =

| team2 = {{fbaicon|BHU}} Paro

| score2 =

| report =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium = Sylhet District Stadium, Sylhet

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

----

{{Football box

| id = West Q3

| date = {{Start date|2025|8|12|df=y}}

| time = {{UTZ||6}}

| team1 = {{nobr|Bashundhara Kings {{fbaicon|BAN}}}}

| score1 =

| team2 = {{fbaicon|MDV}} Maziya

| score2 =

| report =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium = Bashundhara Kings Arena, Dhaka

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

----

{{Football box

| id = West Q4

| date = {{Start date|2025|8|12|df=y}}

| time = {{UTZ||3}}

| team1 = Syria 1 {{fbaicon|SYR|2024}}

| score1 =

| team2 = {{fbaicon|KGZ}} Muras United

| score2 =

| report =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium =

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

----

{{Football box

| id = West Q5

| date = {{Start date|2025|8|12|df=y}}

| time = {{UTZ||3}}

| team1 = Syria 2 {{fbaicon|SYR|2024}}

| score1 =

| team2 = {{nobr|{{fbaicon|KGZ}} Abdysh-Ata Kant}}

| score2 =

| report =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium =

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

=East Region=

{{Football box

| id = East Q1

| date = {{Start date|2025|8|12|df=y}}

| time = {{UTZ||8}}

| team1 = Kasuka {{fbaicon|BRU}}

| score1 =

| team2 = {{fbaicon|CAM}} Phnom Penh Crown

| score2 =

| report =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium = Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

----

{{Football box

| id = East Q2

| date = {{Start date|2025|8|12|df=y}}

| time = {{UTZ||6:30}}

| team1 = Yangon United {{fbaicon|MYA}}

| score1 =

| team2 = {{fbaicon|LAO}} Ezra

| score2 =

| report =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium = Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

----

{{Football box

| id = East Q3

| date = {{Start date|2025|8|12|df=y}}

| time = {{UTZ||8}}

| team1 = Tainan City TSG {{fbaicon|TPE}}

| score1 =

| team2 = {{fbaicon|MGL}} Mongolia 2

| score2 =

| report =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium = Tainan Municipal Football Field, Tainan

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

----

{{Football box

| id = East Q4

| date = {{Start date|2025|8|12|df=y}}

| time = {{UTZ||8}}

| team1 Falcons = Futuro {{fbaicon|TPE}}

| score1 =

| team2 Futuro = {{fbaicon|MGL}} Mongolia 1

| score2 =

| report =

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium = Taiyuan Football Field, Taichung

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

Group stage

{{main|2025–26 AFC Challenge League group stage}}

The group stage draw is scheduled to take place on 28 August 2025.

{{Location map+|AFC

|width=900|float=center

|caption=Location of the 2025–26 AFC Challenge League group stage teams

|places=

{{location map~ |AFC |lat=11.082410 |long=105.802928 |label=Svay Rieng FC|position=top |label_size=80}}

{{location map~ |AFC |lat= 20.77847518|long=97.03802277|label_size=80|label= Shan United|position=left}}

{{location map~ |AFC |lat=-6.199411 |long=106.131801 |label={{nowrap|Dewa United}} |label_size=80 |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |AFC |lat=29.342760 |long=47.952251 |label_size=90

|label=Al-Kuwait |position=right}}

{{Location map~ |AFC |lat=38.046118 |long=58.196582 |label_size=90

|label=Altyn Asyr |position=right}}

{{Location map~ |AFC |label=Al-Shabab |lat=23.618846 |long=58.216669 |position=right}}

}}

See also

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{AFC Challenge League seasons}}

{{2025–26 in Asian football (AFC)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2025-26 AFC Challenge League}}

3

3

Category:AFC Challenge League

Category:Scheduled association football competitions