2021 AFC Champions League

Association team allocation

• The associations are split into two regions :
• *West Region consists of the associations from the West Asian Football Federation, the Central Asian Football Association, and the South Asian Football Federation.
• *East Region consists of the associations from the ASEAN Football Federation and the East Asian Football Federation.
• *The AFC may reallocate one or more associations to another region if necessary for sporting reasons.
• The top 12 associations in each region are eligible to enter the AFC Champions League.
• In each region, there are five groups in the group stage, including a total of 16 direct slots, with the 4 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs, which include the preliminary stage and play-off stage. The slots in each region are distributed as follows:
• *The associations ranked 1st and 2nd are each allocated three direct slots and one play-off slot.
• *The associations ranked 3rd and 4th are each allocated two direct slots and two play-off slots.
• *The associations ranked 5th are each allocated one direct slot and two play-off slots.
• *The associations ranked 6th are each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot.
• *The associations ranked 7th to 10th are each allocated one direct slot.
• *The associations ranked 11th to 12th are each allocated one play-off slot.
• *The teams from associations ranked 6th, 11th and 12th which are eliminated in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs enter the AFC Cup group stage. If they advance to the AFC Champions League group stage, the AFC Cup group stage slot is filled by the standby team from their association if such team are available.
• The AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders are each allocated one play-off slot should they not qualify for the tournament through domestic performance. If they are from associations ranked 1st to 6th, they replace the lowest-seeded team from their association, otherwise they do not replace any team from their association, and their association is allocated one additional play-off slot. If both the AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders are from the same association which is allocated only one play-off slot, only the team with the play-off slot is replaced, and as a result the association is allocated two play-off slots. The AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders are the lowest-seeded teams in the qualifying play-offs if they do not replace any team from their association. They also do not enter the AFC Cup group stage if they are eliminated in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs.
• If any association ranked 1st to 6th do not fulfill any one of the AFC Champions League criteria, they have all their direct slots converted into play-off slots. The direct slots given up are redistributed to the highest eligible association by the following criteria :
• *For each association, the maximum number of total slots is four and the maximum number of direct slots is three.
• *If any association ranked 3rd to 6th is allocated one additional direct slot, one play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed.
• *If any association ranked 5th to 6th is allocated two additional direct slots, one play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed.
• If any association ranked 7th to 10th do not fulfill any one of the AFC Champions League criteria, they have their direct slot converted into play-off slot. The direct slot given up is redistributed to the next association ranked 11th or 12th, whose play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed, or if neither are eligible, the highest eligible association by the same criteria as mentioned above.
• If any association with only play-off slot, including any association ranked 11th to 12th or those mentioned above, do not fulfill the minimum AFC Champions League criteria, the play-off slot are annulled and not redistributed.
• For each association, the maximum number of total slots is one-third of the total number of eligible non-foreign teams in the top division. If this rule is applied, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed.
• All participating teams must obtain an AFC club license, and apart from cup winners, finish in the top half of their top division. If any association do not have enough teams which satisfy this criteria, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed.
• If any team with an AFC club license refuses to participate in the AFC Champions League, their slot, either direct or play-off, is annulled and not redistributed.

  Association ranking

Teams

Team	Qualifying method	App
	2019–20 Qatar Stars League champions
	2020 Emir of Qatar Cup winners
	2019–20 Qatar Stars League runners-up
	2019–20 Saudi Professional League champions
	2019–20 King Cup winners
	2019–20 Saudi Professional League runners-up
Persepolis	2019–20 Persian Gulf Pro League champions	10th
	2019–20 Hazfi Cup winners
Sharjah	2018–19 UAE Pro League champions	4th
Shabab Al-Ahli	2018–19 UAE President's Cup winners 2018–19 UAE Pro League runners-up	9th
Al-Shorta	2018–19 Iraqi Premier League champions	5th
	2020 Uzbekistan Super League champions
	2020 Jordanian Pro League champions
FC Goa	2019–20 Indian Super League regular season premiers	1st
	2020 Tajikistan Higher League champions
	2020 Ýokary Liga champions

Team	Qualifying method	App
	2020 Chinese Super League champions
	2020 Chinese FA Cup winners
	2020 Chinese Super League runners-up
	2020 J1 League champions
	2020 Emperor's Cup winners
	2020 J1 League runners-up
	2020 K League 1 champions
	2020 Korean FA Cup winners
	2020–21 Thai League 1 1st place after first half of season
	2020–21 Thai League 1 2nd place after first half of season
Sydney FC	2019–20 A-League regular season premiers	7th
	2020 Philippines Football League champions
	2019–20 DPR Korea Premier League champions
	2020 V.League 1 champions
	2020 Malaysia Super League champions
	2020 Singapore Premier League champions

Schedule