AFC Champions League Two

The AFC Cup began in 2004 as a second-tier competition to relate back to the AFC Champions League, as 14 countries that had developing status competed in the first competition, with 18 teams being nominated. The winners and three runners-up would then head to the knock-out stage. Al-Jaish took the first AFC Cup after they defeated fellow Syrian opponents Al-Wahda on away goals.

In 2005, 18 teams competed from nine nations with the nations still being allowed to choose from one or two teams entering. After Syrian teams left the AFC Cup to try at the AFC Champions League for four years, Al-Faisaly defeated Nejmeh in the final. With it, Jordanian teams would win the next two AFC Cup seasons with Bahrain joining the league while Bangladesh was relegated to the AFC President's Cup until the tournament's abolition in 2014.

Al-Muharraq would break the trend in 2008 as they won the last two-legged final before it headed back into a one-leg system, a rule that was never changed until now.

On 23 December 2022, it was announced that the AFC competition structure would change from the established formats from the 2024–25 season. A new second-tier tournament called the AFC Champions League Two would be introduced.{{cite web|title=History beckons for AFC Cup 2023/24 contenders as final edition of popular competition kicks off|access-date=21 September 2023|date=15 September 2023|website=the-AFC.com|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|language=en|url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cup/news/history_beckons_for_afc_cup%E2%84%A2_202324_contenders_as_final_edition_of_popular_competition_kicks_off.html}} Meanwhile, a new third-tier competition was also launched under the name AFC Challenge League.{{cite web |title=AFC Competitions Committee recommends strategic reforms to elevate Asian club football |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_competitions/news/afc_competitions_committee_recommends_strategic_reforms_to_elevate_asian_club_football.html |website=theAFC.com |access-date=24 December 2022 |language=en |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224020236/https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_competitions/news/afc_competitions_committee_recommends_strategic_reforms_to_elevate_asian_club_football.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=14 August 2023 |title=AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League |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%E2%80%99s_champions_league.html |website=AFC|access-date=14 August 2023}}{{cite web |title=AFC Club Competitions 2024/25 Slot Allocation |url=https://www.fas.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Encl-3-AFC-Club-Competitions-2024-25-Slot-Allocation.pdf|website=Football Association of Singapore|access-date=11 October 2023}}

On 24 May 2024, AFC announced that the records and statistics of the preceding AFC club competitions will be recognised and integrated within the revamped club competitions, with the data from the AFC Cup transferring to the AFC Champions League Two, despite being entirely different competitions.{{Cite web |title=Pivotal reforms approved by AFC Competitions Committee |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/about_afc/cfed/news/pivotal_reforms_approved_by_afc_competitions_committee.html |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=the-AFC |language=en}}

File:AFC members AFC Cup group stage.png

Some changes were applied in terms of teams and format for the 2017 AFC Cup. A total of 36 teams participated in the group stage (12 each from West Asia and ASEAN, and 4 each from East Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia). The final is played as a one-off match.

The allocation of group stage teams by member country was listed below; asterisks represent occasions where at least one team was eliminated in qualification for the group stage. Those who had not reached the group stage but had only played in qualification are not bolded.

The prize money as of the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two are as follows, in United States dollar (USD):{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s4kb03WFSE |title=AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 |date=2024-06-19 |last=The AFC Hub |access-date=2024-06-20 |via=YouTube}}

The tournament has been sponsored by a group of multinational corporations, in contrast to the single main sponsor typically found in national top-flight leagues.

Official Global Partners

• Neom{{Cite web |date=10 July 2024 |title=AFC and NEOM announce global multi-year partnership extension |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_news/news/afc_and_neom_announce_global_multi-year_partnership_extension.html |access-date=12 July 2024 |website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation}}
• Qatar Airways{{cite web |last1=Long |first1=Michael |date=18 December 2023 |title=AFC lands six-year Qatar Airways sponsorship deal |url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/afc-qatar-airways-sponsorship-deal/?zephr_sso_ott=48Ii8W |access-date=19 December 2023 |website=SportsPro}}{{cite web |date=16 December 2023 |title=AFC and Qatar Airways announce global partnership |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_news/news/afc_and_qatar_airways_announce_global_partnership.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509075258/https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_news/news/afc_and_qatar_airways_announce_global_partnership.html |archive-date=9 May 2024 |access-date=20 December 2023 |website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation |language=en}}
• Visit Saudi

Official Global Supporters

• Konami{{cite web |date=25 January 2021 |title=AFC and KONAMI sign new sponsorship and licensing deal |url=https://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-champions-league/latest/news/afc-and-konami-sign-new-sponsorship-and-licensing-deal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903201801/https://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-champions-league/latest/news/afc-and-konami-sign-new-sponsorship-and-licensing-deal |archive-date=3 September 2021 |access-date=23 November 2023 |website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation |language=en-SG}}
• Midea{{Cite web |title=Midea becomes Global Supporter of the AFC’s club competitions |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_news.html/news/midea-becomes-global-supporter-of-the-afc%E2%80%99s-club-competitions |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=the-AFC |language=en}}
• Molten{{Cite web |date=5 May 2018 |title=AFC appoints world-leading ball manufacturer Molten as official match ball supplier |url=http://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-asian-cup/latest/news/afc-appoints-world-leading-ball-manufacturer-molten-as-official-match-ball-suppl |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504222656/http://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-asian-cup/latest/news/afc-appoints-world-leading-ball-manufacturer-molten-as-official-match-ball-suppl |archive-date=4 May 2018 |access-date=23 November 2023 |website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation |language=en-GB}}
• Tecno Mobile{{Cite web |title=TECNO becomes Official Global Supporter of AFC Club Competitions |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_competitions/news/tecno_becomes_official_global_supporter_of_afc_club_competitions.html |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=the-AFC |language=en}}
• Visa Inc.{{Cite web |date=3 February 2025 |title=AFC and Visa expand partnership |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/more/afc_news.html/news/afc-and-visa-expand-partnership |access-date=4 February 2025 |website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation}}

{{Main|List of AFC Cup and AFC Champions League Two finals}}

{{#section:List of AFC Cup and AFC Champions League Two finals|ACLTwo_finals bracket}}

{{AFC Cup performance by club|persepolis fc=1}}

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{{updated|11 March 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-cup/latest/news/the-all-time-top-scorers/|title=AFC Cup: Marañón leads all-time top scorers|work=the-afc.com|access-date=12 March 2020|archive-date=11 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511124104/https://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-cup/latest/news/the-all-time-top-scorers|url-status=live}}

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• List of association football competitions
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{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/as3.html AFC Cup] on RSSSF

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{{AFC Champions League Two seasons}}

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Category:AFC Champions League Two

Category:Asian Football Confederation club competitions

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2004

Category:2004 establishments in Asia

Category:Multi-national professional sports leagues