AFC club competitions 2026–27 slots announced
Japan and Saudi Arabia get maximum slots for AFC 2026-27 cycle
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has released the slot allocation for 2026-27 club competitions cycle which includes ACL Elite, ACL Two, and the AFC Challenge League (ACGL). The slot allocation from AFC outlines how many teams each member association can send across its three-tier structure directly and indirectly.
Compared to the previous cycles, some countries have seen an increase in the number of slots allocated, while some countries have seen a decrease in it.
It is important to note that the slot allocation released by the AFC is “subject to ratification” by its Executive Committee. This leaves room for adjustments based on various checks, licensing, and league structure evaluations.
Let us take a look at the number of slots allocated to each member country directly or indirectly in this three-tier structure of AFC.
Slots allocated to each country
AFC Club Competitions 2026-27 Slot Allocation (West)
| Rank | Member Association | ACL Elite | ACL Two | ACGL | Total | |||
| Direct (GS) | Indirect (PS) | Direct (GS) | Indirect (PS) | Direct (GS) | Indirect (PS) | |||
| 1 | SAUDI ARABIA | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |||
| 2 | UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 3 | QATAR | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| 4 | ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 5 | UZBEKISTAN | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 6 | IRAQ | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 7 | JORDAN | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 8 | BAHRAIN | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 9 | OMAN | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 10 | INDIA | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 11 | TURKMENISTAN | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 12 | KUWAIT | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 13 | LEBANON | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 14 | TAJIKISTAN | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 15 | KYRGYZ REPUBLIC | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 16 | BANGLADESH | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 17 | SYRIA | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 18 | MALDIVES | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 19 | PALESTINE | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 20 | BHUTAN | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 21 | NEPAL | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 22 | AFGHANISTAN | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 23 | SRI LANKA | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 24 | YEMEN | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 25 | PAKISTAN | 1 | 1 | |||||
AFC Club Competitions 2026-27 Slot Allocation (East)
| Rank | Member Association | ACL Elite | ACL Two | ACGL | Total | |||
| Direct (GS) | Indirect (PS) | Direct (GS) | Indirect (PS) | Direct (GS) | Indirect (PS) | |||
| 1 | JAPAN | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |||
| 2 | KOREA REPUBLIC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 3 | THAILAND | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| 4 | CHINA PR | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 5 | AUSTRALIA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 6 | MALAYSIA | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 7 | VIETNAM | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 8 | SINGAPORE | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 9 | HONG KONG, CHINA | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 10 | CAMBODIA | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 11 | INDONESIA | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 12 | PHILIPPINES | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 13 | MYANMAR | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 14 | CHINESE TAIPEI | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 15 | DPR KOREA | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 16 | MONGOLIA | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 17 | MACAU | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 18 | LAOS | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 19 | BRUNEI DARUSSALAM | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 20 | TIMOR-LESTE | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 21 | GUAM | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 22 | NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS | 1 | 1 | |||||
Slots allocated to India
India have been allocated two continental slots for the 2026–27 season under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) structure.
India will have one direct group stage spot in the AFC Champions League Two, which is expected to go to the Indian Super League (ISL) winners, along with one playoff (qualifier) berth.
That qualifying slot is currently set to be taken by FC Goa, who would need to come through the preliminary rounds to reach the main stage.
However, things could get more interesting depending on how the ISL 2025-26 season ends. If Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who look strong favourites at the moment go on to win the ISL title, the direct group stage spot could very well pass down to the second placed team in the standings as Mohun Bagan SG are currently ineligible to play any AFC tournaments.
That means finishing second might carry just as much importance as winning the title or even more, at least in terms of continental representation.
There’s also another tricky scenario to consider, if FC Goa themselves finish second while Mohun Bagan SG take the ISL title finishing first, FC Goa would take the direct group stage slot, since they already hold the indirect playoff slot.
In that case, the qualifier spot would likely shift down to the team finishing third, keeping the allocation balanced.
Because of all these interesting situations, the battle near the top half of the ISL points table is far from just a title race.
Clubs like East Bengal FC, Bengaluru FC, Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC will be keen to finish as high as possible, knowing that a strong league position could very well open the door to Asia for them.
Direct slot in trouble for India?
Well after talking about all the possibilities with all the ifs and buts, there may still be bad news regarding the direct slot to ACL 2 for India. Currently India has 2 slots, 1 direct group stage, meanwhile the other is an indirect qualifier spot.
As India have not fulfilled the minimum number of games criteria for the top tier of a country that is set to be 27 matches for each team, it is likely the ACL 2 2026-27 direct group stage slot could be converted into a qualifier slot by the AFC. Which means even the ISL title holder of this season might have to play the qualifier round first.
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Ayushman Sharma is a sports enthusiast with a deep love for football, following the game closely since 2018. A hardcore supporter of NorthEast United FC and FC Barcelona, he has also gained valuable on-ground experience by volunteering during FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Guwahati.