2021 AFC Cup
The 2021 AFC Cup will be the 18th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation.
The winners of the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2022 AFC Champions League, entering the qualifying play-offs, if they have not qualified through their domestic performance.
Association team allocation
The 47 AFC member associations are ranked based on their clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions. The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:- The associations are split into five zones :
- *West Asia Zone consists of the associations from the West Asian Football Federation.
- *Central Asia Zone consists of the associations from Central Asian Football Association.
- *South Asia Zone consists of the associations from the South Asian Football Federation.
- *ASEAN Zone consists of the associations from the ASEAN Football Federation.
- *East Asia Zone consists of the associations from the East Asian Football Federation.
- *The AFC may reallocate one or more associations to another zone if necessary for sporting reasons.
- Excluding the top five associations in each region for AFC Champions League slot allocation, all other associations are eligible to enter the AFC Cup.
- 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 associations ranked 6th in both the West Region and the East Region, while not ranked in each zone for AFC Cup slot allocation, are thus allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage. This rule does not apply to the AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders which are allocated AFC Champions League play-off slots should they not qualify for the tournament through domestic performance.
- In each zone, the number of groups in the group stage is determined based on the number of entries, with the number of slots filled through play-offs same as the number of groups :
- *In the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN Zone, there are three groups in the group stage, including a minimum of 9 direct slots, with the 3 remaining slots filled through play-offs. The slots in each zone are distributed as follows:
- **The associations ranked 1st to 3rd are each allocated two direct slots.
- **The associations ranked 4th to 6th are each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot.
- **The associations ranked 7th or below are each allocated get one play-off slot.
- **If any zone has an association ranked 6th for AFC Champions League slot allocation, which is allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage, there are 10 direct slots, with the 2 remaining slots filled through play-offs.
- *In the Central Asia Zone, the South Asia Zone, and the East Asia Zone, there is one group in the group stage, including a minimum of 3 direct slots, with the 1 remaining slot filled through qualifying play-offs. The slots in each zone are distributed as follows:
- **The associations ranked 1st to 3rd are each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot.
- **The associations ranked 4th or below are each allocated one play-off slot.
- **If any zone has an association ranked 6th for AFC Champions League slot allocation, which is allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage, there are 4 direct slots, and to ensure equal opportunity in each zone, another group is added to this zone in the group stage, with the 4 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs.
- **If any zone has at least 7 play-off slots, to ensure equal opportunity in each zone, another group is added to this zone in the group stage, with the 5 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs.
- If any association with direct slots do not fulfill any one of the AFC Cup 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 two.
- *If any association is allocated one additional direct slot, one play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed.
- If any association with only play-off slot, including those mentioned above, do not fulfill the minimum AFC Cup 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 Cup, their slot, either direct or play-off, is annulled and not redistributed.
Association ranking
;Notes
Teams
Teams in italics will play in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs, and will play in the AFC Cup group stage if they fail to advance to the AFC Champions League group stage. Should they advance to the AFC Champions League group stage, they will not play in the AFC Cup, and will be replaced by the standby team from their association if such team are available.Note: Only teams assured of a place are displayed.
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 | 2020 Jordan FA Cup winners | |
| 2020 Jordanian Pro League runners-up | |
 | TBC | |
| TBC | |
 Tishreen | 2019–20 Syrian Premier League champions | 1st |
| 2019–20 Syrian Cup winners | |
 | 2019–20 Bahraini Premier League champions | |
| 2019–20 Bahraini King's Cup winners | |
 | 2019–20 Oman Professional League champions | |
 Markaz Balata | 2019–20 West Bank Premier League champions | 1st |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
| TBC | |
| Al-Wathba | 2019–20 Syrian Premier League runners-up | 2nd |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 | 2020 Uzbekistan Cup winners | |
 | 2020 Tajikistan Cup winners | |
 | 2020 Turkmenistan Cup winners | |
 | 2020 Kyrgyz Premier League champions |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
| 2020 Uzbekistan Super League runners-up |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 ATK Mohun Bagan | 2019–20 I-League champions 2019–20 Indian Super League playoffs winners | 5th |
 | TBC | |
 Maziya | 2019–20 Dhivehi Premier League champions | 7th |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 Machhindra | 2019–20 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League champions | 1st |
 | 2020 Sri Lanka Champions League champions | |
 | 2020 Bhutan Premier League champions | |
 | 2020 Pakistan Premier League champions |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 | 2020 Philippines Football League runners-up | |
 | 2020 Vietnamese Cup winners | |
| 2020 V.League 1 runners-up | |
 | 2020 Malaysia Cup winners | |
| 2020 Malaysia Super League runners-up | |
 | 2020 Singapore Cup winners | |
| 2020 Singapore Premier League runners-up | |
 | 2020 Myanmar National League champions | |
 | TBC | |
 | 2020 C-League champions |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
| 2020 Philippines Football League 3rd place | |
| 2020 Myanmar National League runners-up |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 | 2020 Hwaebul Cup winners | |
 | 2019–20 Hong Kong Premier League champions | |
 | 2020 Liga de Elite champions |
| Team | Qualifying method | App |
 | 2020 Taiwan Premier League champions | |
 | 2020 Mongolian Premier League champions | |
 | 2019–20 Guam Soccer League champions | |
 | 2020 M*League Division 1 champions |
;Notes