Thursday 26/February/2026 – 09:45 PM
The Asian Football Confederation announced the dates for the round of 16 matches of the tournament AFC Champions League for the eliteIt will be held from 2 to 4 next March.
The list of finalists includes six clubs that reached this round last season, including defending champion Al-Ahly Saudi Arabia, in addition to two teams participating for the first time on the continent, Gangwon and Machida Zelvia. The competition also includes five clubs that have previously won the title and are seeking to regain the cup in the twenty-third edition of the most important club tournament on the continent under the name of the AFC Champions League.
Dates of the Round of 16 matches in the AFC Champions League for the Elite
The competitions will begin on March 2 at Rashid Stadium in Dubai at six in the evening, where Shabab Al-Ahly of the Emirates will meet with Tractor of Iran, and at 8:15 p.m., Al-Duhail of Qatar will host the defending champion Al-Ahly of Saudi Arabia at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, after they tied 2-2 in the league stage.
On March 3, Australia’s Melbourne City will make its first appearance in the qualifying rounds at its home stadium, Melbourne Rectangular, against Buriram United of Thailand at 9:45 a.m. Gangwon from the Republic of Korea will also meet Machida Zelvia of Japan at 12:00 noon, and Al-Wahda of the UAE and Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia will also play, as the confrontation that begins at 6 p.m. at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi represents the seventh meeting between the two teams, and Al-Sadd will also host Qatari champions 2011, Al Hilal leads the league stage at 8:15 pm at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.
The competitions will conclude on March 4, when Seoul from the Republic of Korea, the 2013 runner-up, will participate in its ninth participation after qualifying for the elimination rounds for the seventh time, as it faces Vissel Kobe of Japan at 12:00 noon at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul.
Both Malaysian champion Johor Darul Ta’zim and Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima are looking forward to going beyond the round of 16 for the first time, after ensuring qualification to the knockout rounds for the third time in six participations, as they meet at 2:15 pm at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri.
The return matches of the round of 16 will be held from March 9 to 11, with the eight qualifying clubs entering the draw for the AFC Champions League Elite Jeddah 2026 finals on March 25, and the final rounds will be held in the group system during the period from April 16 to 25, 2026.
