The AFC Champions League Elite will reach its climax over the next two weeks in Jeddah.
For the second season, the tournament will be decided by single-leg fixtures from the quarter-final onwards, pitting together sides from East Asia against ones from the western region.
It will all be played out at the Red Sea port city’s two main stadiums, the 62,000-seater King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, and 27,000-capacity Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City.
Last season’s pilot edition of the new centralised finals tournament was a triumph. It was won by Al Ahli Saudi in their home stadium, in front of a bumper crowd.
This season has been slightly skewed by the conflict in the region. While sides from the east played out their regular fixture programme as scheduled, the round of 16 was postponed for West Asia sides after the onset of war.
To catch up the games, home and away ties have been cancelled, and one-off matches have been tacked on to the start of the finals schedule.
It means three sides from Saudi Arabia, two from Qatar, two from the UAE, and one from Iran, will play for a place in the last eight.
There they will meet two sides from Japan, one from Malaysia and one from Thailand.
Al Ahli Saudi win Champions League – in pictures
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Roberto Firmino lifts the trophy after Al Ahli defeated Kawasaki Frontale 2-0 in the AFC Champions League Elite final at the King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium on May 3, 2025 -
Al Ahli players celebrate after their Champions League final victory. Reuters -
Galeno is mobbed by teammates after scoring Al Ahli's opening goal in their 2-0 victory. Getty Images -
Al Ahli's Franck Kessie, partially hidden, heads home to make it 2-0 in the 42nd minute. Reuters -
AL Ahli captain Roberto Firmino celebrates after Franck Kessie opened the scoring in Jeddah. Getty Images -
Al Ahli striker Ivan Toney under pressure from Yuichi Maruyama of Kawasaki. Getty Images -
Galeno, right, celebrates scoring Al Ahli's first goal with Roberto Firmino in the 35th minute. Reuters -
Al Ahli's Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie celebrates after scoring their second goal. Reuters -
Al Ahli fans inside the stadium before the match at King Abdullah Sports City. Reuters -
Al Ahli fans at King Abdullah Sports City. Getty Images) -
Al Ahli fans inside the stadium before the match in Jeddah. Getty Images -
Al Ahli Saudi show at the AFC Champions League Elite Final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images
Fixtures (kick-offs UAE time)
LAST 16
Monday April 13
6.45pm Al Ahli Saudi v Al Duhail; 10pm Al Hilal v Al Sadd
Tuesday April 14
6.45pm Tractor v Shabab Al Ahli; 10pm Al Ittihad v Al Wahda
QUARTER-FINALS
Thursday April 16
8.15pm Al Ahli Saudi/Al Duhail v Vissel Kobe
Friday April 17
6.45pm Al Hilal/AlSadd v Johor Darul Ta’zim; 10pm Machida Zelvia v Tractor/Shabab Al Ahli
Saturday April 18
8.15pm Buriram United v Al Ittihad/Al Wahda
SEMI-FINALS
Monday April 20, 8.15pm and Tuesday April 21, 8.15pm
FINAL
Saturday April 24, 8.15pm
Broadcast
All matches are being shown live on beIN Sports.
UAE’s high hopes
Al Ain
Only one UAE club have their name inscribed on Asia’s top club trophy. Al Ain have won it twice, most recently two years ago.
That 2024 campaign was the final season of two-legged finals, before the competition was revamped to have all matches from the quarter finals onwards being played in one city.
Al Ahli, who have since merged with their Dubai neighbours Al Shabab, were beaten finalists in 2015.
The new entity, Shabab Al Ahli, have been the outstanding side in the Emirates over the past two seasons. They face Iranian side Tractor in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Later the same night, on the other side of Jeddah, Abu Dhabi side Al Wahda will play Al Ittihad in their own backyard.
Shabab Al Ahli
Under the expert guidance of Paulo Sousa, the former Borussia Dortmund and Juventus midfielder, the Dubai side have swept all before them over the past two seasons.
They won a domestic double last year, and are now gunning for continental glory this time around.
Although they continue to set high standards within UAE football, they have had their problems this season, and they are likely to lose their league title to Al Ain.
Chiefly, Sardar Azmoun, their outstanding Iranian striker, has suffered an injury- plagued campaign.
He is returning to full form and fitness, just in time for an intriguing tie in Jeddah. Shabab Al Ahli face Tractor, the champions of Iran, whose national team expelled Azmoun last month after he posted pictures of himself meeting the UAE leaders.
Al Wahda
The side from Abu Dhabi started the campaign in blistering form, challenging at the top of the UAE Pro League, and easing to qualification for the knock out stage of the Champions League.
They have lost their way somewhat since, after Jose Morais, the laid-back coach who was behind their fine form, made a shock move to Sharjah.
The team also struggled to readjust to a new formation after Christian Benteke arrived at the start of January.
Results have been patchy. But there have been signs in recent games that Benteke, the former Aston Villa and Liverpool targetman, is forging an understanding with Wahda’s other two leading attacking weapons, Dusan Tadic and Omar Khrbin.
Who are the teams to beat?
The ones from Saudi Arabia. Al Ahli, Al Hilal and Al Ittihad are all owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, and have had huge investment in recent seasons.
It means their budgets dwarf that of any of the other sides.
It doesn’t mean the results are foregone. For example, last season Kawasaki Frontale reached the final at the expense of an Al Nassr side containing the world’s best paid player, Cristiano Ronaldo.
But the strength in depth of the three SPL teams is unmatched. Holders Al Ahli have massive support, the firepower of Ivan Toney, and will be glad of switch to continental competition after the controversies of domestic football.
They have been increasingly furious by officiating in the Saudi Pro League, hinting at a conspiracy designed to present the title to Ronaldo.
They are not the only ones. Hilal are Nassr’s closest challengers in the league, and – since January – have had Karim Benzema leading the line for them.
The side he left, Ittihad, have fallen below the standards they set last season, and will hope home support in Jeddah can help them navigate their tie with Wahda.
Where is Ronaldo?
Ronaldo pouted his way out of the Champions League last season, as his Nassr side faltered at the semi-final stage.
It was symptomatic of an implosion under the management of Stefano Pioli which resulted in them missing out on qualification for the elite tournament altogether this time around.
They did at least make it into the second-tier Champions League 2. In that competition, Nassr will travel to Dubai to face Al Wasl in the quarter-final on Sunday April 19.
Whether Ronaldo makes the trip remains to be seen. He has focused his attention on the league instead this season, and with good effect, too.
Nassr have a comfortable lead at the top of the SPL table as the season reaches its crunch point.
