Asia’s Top Club Competition Rebrands as AFC Champions League Elite for 2024
The Asian Football confederation’s (AFC) premier club competition has undergone a name change, becoming the AFC Champions League Elite for the 2024 season. Formerly known as the AFC champions League, the tournament builds upon a history dating back to 1967, when it was originally established as the Asian Champion Club Tournament. This rebranding follows a previous evolution in 2002, when the competition was renamed following the consolidation of the Asian Club Championship, Asian Cup Winners’ Cup, and asian Super Cup.
The AFC Champions League Elite remains the most prestigious club competition in Asian football, featuring 24 top-division clubs divided into East and West regions of 12 teams each. National league champions, and in some cases runners-up, from AFC-affiliated associations compete for the title. The winner earns qualification for both the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, with an additional benefit of automatic qualification for the next AFC Champions League Elite league stage, provided they haven’t already secured a spot through domestic league performance.currently, Al-Hilal holds the record for the most titles with four championships. Al-Ahli are the reigning champions, having defeated Kawasaki Frontale 2-0 in the 2025 final.
