AFC Champions League Elite: Clubs Competing Determined

The clubs competing for the 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite have been determined following the conclusion of the preliminary round on Tuesday. Qatar's Al Gharafa and China's Shandong Taishan were the last teams to advance after their wins against the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Shabab Al Ahli and Thailand's Bangkok United. Al Gharafa beat Shabab Al Ahli (1-0), while Shandong Taishan beat Bangkok United (4-3). The two teams will be in Pot 2 of their respective zones for Friday's draw in Kuala Lumpur, joining the 22 sides that qualified directly. The draw will see the teams divided into two leagues of 12 teams across the West and East regions. Scheduled to be played between September 16, 2024, and February 19, 2025, each team will face eight different opponents within its region in the form of four home and four away matches. The top eight finishers of each League progress to the Round of 16, scheduled for March 2025, which will be followed by a unique centralized finals that sees all matches from the quarterfinals onwards in Saudi Arabia between April 25 and May 4, 2025. Clubs participating in West Region's Pot 1 are: Al Sadd (Qatar), Al Ain (UAE), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Persepolis (Iran), Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan), and Al Shorta (Iraq). West Region's Pot 2 are: Al Rayyan (Qatar), Al Gharafa (Qatar), Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia), Esteghlal (Iran), Al Wasl (UAE), and Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia). In East Region's Pot 1: Vissel Kobe (Japan), Ulsan HD (South Korea), Shanghai Port (China), Buriram United (Thailand), Central Coast Mariners (Australia), and Johor Darul Ta'zim (Malaysia). In Pot 2: Kawasaki Frontale (Japan), Pohang Steelers (South Korea), Shanghai Shenhua (China), Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan), Gwangju FC (South Korea), and Shandong Taishan (China). Source: Qatar News Agency