Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi Pro League team, Al Nassr, is set to begin their Asian Champions League campaign next month. They will face Iran’s Persepolis in Tehran, while Neymar’s new team, Al Hilal, will travel to Uzbekistan. The group stage of the tournament will also see Al Nassr compete against Qatar’s Al Duhail and FC Istiklol from Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal, who recently signed Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in a record-breaking £80 million deal, will start their challenge against Navbahor of Uzbekistan. They will also face FC Nassaji Mazandaran from Iran and Mumbai City from India.
Karim Benzema, the former Real Madrid striker who now plays for Al Ittihad, will take on Air Force Club in Baghdad, Iraq. They will also travel to Iran and Uzbekistan for their group stage matches.
The current champions of the Asian Champions League, Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan, will face Chinese champions Wuhan Three Towns in their group. The group phase of the 2023-24 continental competition will kick off on September 18, with clubs divided into five groups each in the western and eastern regions.
The winners of the 10 groups will advance to the knockout rounds, along with the three best runners-up from each half of the draw. The knockout rounds are scheduled to start on February 12, 2024, with the final being held over two legs on May 11 and 18.
Here is the complete group stage draw for the 2023-24 Asian Champions League:
Group A: Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan), Al Fayha (Saudi Arabia), Ahal FC (Turkmenistan), Al Ain (United Arab Emirates)
Group B: Al Sadd (Qatar), FC Nasaf (Uzbekistan), Al Faisaly (Jordan), Sharjah FC (United Arab Emirates)
Group C: Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia), Sepahan (Iran), Air Force Club (Iraq), AGMK FC (Uzbekistan)
Group D: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), FC Nassaji Mazandaran (Iran), Mumbai City (India), Navbahor (Uzbekistan)
Group E: Persepolis (Iran), Al Duhail (Qatar), FC Istiklol (Tajikistan), Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
Group F: Jeonbuk Motors (South Korea), Bangkok United (Thailand), Lion City Sailors (Singapore), Kitchee (Hong Kong)
Group G: Yokohama F Marinos (Japan), Shandong Taishan (China), Kaya FC-Iloilo (Philippines), Incheon United (South Korea)
Group H: Buriram United (Thailand), Ventforet Kofu (Japan), Melbourne City (Australia), Zhejiang FC (China)
Group I: Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea), Kawasaki Frontale (Japan), Johor Darul Ta’zim (Malaysia), BG Pathum United (Thailand)
Group J: Wuhan Three Towns (China), Pohang Steelers (South Korea), Hanoi FC (Vietnam), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
The qualification for the Club World Cup in the United States is at stake in this tournament. The Urawa Red Diamonds have already qualified for the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia from December 12-22. This tournament is the last seven-team edition before an expanded 32-team version takes place in the United States in 2025.
The winner of the 2023-24 Asian Champions League will secure a spot in the 2025 Club World Cup. The exact dates for the new tournament are yet to be confirmed. The Asian Football Confederation has been allocated four access slots for 2025, which will be given to the most recent winners of the Asian Champions League.
In addition to Al Hilal and Urawa Red Diamonds, who won the competition in 2021 and 2022 respectively, the winner of the 2023-24 edition will also earn a spot. If a club wins multiple editions of the Asian Champions League between 2021 and 2024, FIFA will use a club ranking system to determine access.
Other teams that have already secured their places in the 2025 Club World Cup include Chelsea and Real Madrid from UEFA, as well as Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, and Leon from CONCACAF.
The Asian Champions League promises to be an exciting tournament, with top teams from across Asia competing for a chance to represent the continent in the prestigious Club World Cup. Fans can look forward to thrilling matches and intense competition as these teams battle it out for glory.