2026–27 AFC Challenge League
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Teams | Competition proper: 20 (from 27 associations) |
← 2025–26 2027–28 → | |
The 2026–27 AFC Challenge League will be the 13th edition of the Asia's third-tier continental club football competition, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the third under the AFC Challenge League title.[1] The winner will be given a direct slot for the 2027–28 AFC Champions League Two group stage, if they haven't already qualified through their domestic performance.
Association team allocation
The associations are allocated slots according to their club competitions ranking which was published after the 2024–25 competitions were completed.[2][3][4][5]
| Participation for 2026–27 AFC Challenge League | |
|---|---|
| Participating | |
| Not participating | |
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Teams
| Entry round | West Region | East Region | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage | Team | Qualifying method | App. (last) | Team | Qualifying method | App. (last) |
| 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two qualifying round losers | 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two qualifying round losers | |||||
| 2025 Turkmenistan Cup winners[Note TKM] | ||||||
| 2025–26 Kuwait Emir Cup winners | ||||||
| 2025–26 Lebanese Premier League champions | ||||||
| Qualifying play-off participants | Istiklol | 2025 Tajikistan Higher League champions | 1st | 2025–26 Indonesia Super League runners-up | ||
| Bars Issyk-Kul | 2025 Kyrgyz Premier League champions | 1st | 2025–26 Philippines Football League runners-up | |||
| 2025–26 Bangladesh Premier League champions | 2025–26 Myanmar National League champions | |||||
| 2025–26 Syrian Premier League champions | 2025–26 Taiwan Football Premier League champions | |||||
| 2025–26 Dhivehi Premier League champions | 2025–26 DPR Korea Premier Football League champions | |||||
| 2025–26 Palestine Professional League champions | 2025–26 Mongolian Premier League champions | |||||
| Paro | 2025 Bhutan Premier League champions | 3rd (2025–26) | Chao Pak Kei | 2025 Liga de Elite champions | 1st | |
| New Road Team | 2025–26 Martyr Memorial A-Division League champions | 1st | Ezra | 2025–26 Lao League 1 champions | 1st | |
| FC Sorkh Poshan | 2025–26 Afghanistan Champions League champions | 1st | 2025–26 Brunei Super League champions | 1st | ||
| Renown | 2025 Sri Lanka Premier League champions | 1st | Karketu Dili | 2025 Liga Futebol Timor-Leste champions | 1st | |
| Shabab Al-Jeel | 2025–26 Yemeni League champions | 1st | NAPA Rovers | 2025 Guam Soccer League champions | 1st | |
| Muslim FC | 2025–26 Pakistan Premier League champions | 1st | Kanoa | 2025 Marianas Soccer League 1 champions | 1st | |
- Notes
- ^ Turkmenistan (TKM): If Arkadag wins the 2025 Turkmenistan Cup, the spot reserved for the Turkmenistan Cup winners will be transferred to the second-placed team in the 2025 Ýokary Liga
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "AFC Executive Committee approves biggest prize purse in Asian club football history from 2024/25; announces AFC Women's Champions League". the-AFC.
- ^ "AFC Men's Club Competition Ranking 2024/25". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "AFC Men's Club Competitions Ranking 2024/25" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "AFC Club Competitions 2026/27 Slot Allocation" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking 2025". FootyRankings. Retrieved 4 October 2025.