Saudi Arabia given AFC Champions League Elite finals hosting until 2029
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee approved a series of hosting allocations. Saudi Arabia will host the AFC Champions League Elite finals for three consecutive seasons (2026‑27, 2027‑28 and 2028‑29) and has also secured the right to host the AFC U17 Asian Cup in 2029. Japan was confirmed as the host of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2028, serving as the Asian qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, while Uzbekistan will stage the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2027.
Alongside the hosting decisions, the AFC adopted structural reforms for its club competitions. The Champions League Elite will expand to 32 clubs, adopt a four‑pot draw system, and feature simultaneous kick‑offs in the East and West regions for the final league‑stage matches. New youth‑qualification rules guarantee that the previous tournament host receives a slot if it later enters as a non‑host and relegate any member association that withdraws or fails to enter to a development tier.
In preparation for the senior 2027 AFC Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia launched a volunteer registration programme open to citizens and residents aged 16 and older, with applications processed through an online platform.
Entities: 2027 AFC Asian Cup · 2028 AFC U23 Asian Cup · AFC Champions League Elite · Asian Football Confederation · Asian Football Confederation (AFC) · Green Falcons · Japan · Japan Football Association (JFA) · Saudi Arabia · Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) · Uzbekistan Football Association · Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Saudi Arabia has been awarded hosting rights for the AFC Champions League Elite finals for the 2026‑27, 2027‑28 and 2028‑29 seasons. (supported by article IDs aaf9db1e, 556da586, d545dc6c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Saudi Arabian Football Federation will host the AFC U17 Asian Cup in 2029. (supported by article ID d545dc6c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] AFC approved structural reforms expanding the Champions League Elite to 32 clubs, introducing a four‑pot draw and simultaneous East/West final‑stage kick‑offs. (supported by article ID d545dc6c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Saudi Arabia opened a volunteer registration program for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, accepting citizens and residents aged 16+ via an online platform. (supported by article ID 7c5c4e7e)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] AFC Executive Committee ratified updated competition regulations for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2028 and a revised youth‑tournament roadmap. (supported by article ID d545dc6c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] New AFC U20 Asian Cup qualification rules guarantee that previous tournament hosts receive a slot if they later enter as non‑hosts, and any member association that withdraws will be relegated to a ‘de (supported by article ID d545dc6c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Uzbekistan Football Association will host the AFC U17 Asian Cup in 2027. (supported by article ID d545dc6c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Japan has been confirmed as the host of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2028, which will serve as the qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. (supported by article ID d545dc6c)