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FOOTBALL COMPETITION

AFC Challenge League

Worldwide • 2026-2027 season

24Clubs
39Matches in feed
—Table entries
AboutStandingsFixturesResultsClubs
LEAGUE PROFILE

About AFC Challenge League

The AFC Challenge League (abbreviated as ACGL) is an annual third-tier continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. The competition is played among clubs from nations that do not receive qualifying slots to the league stage of top-tier AFC Champions League Elite or the group stage of second-tier AFC Champions League Two, based on the AFC club competitions ranking. The competition was initially launched by the AFC as the AFC President's Cup in 2005. The President's Cup was dissolved in 2014, and incorporated into the AFC Cup.

The 2024–25 season marked the inaugural edition of the rebranded AFC Challenge League, which featured a new format and an expanded group stage. The winners of the AFC Challenge League qualify for the group stage of the following season's AFC Champions League Two, while the runners-up qualify for the preliminary stage of the competition. Clubs from Tajikistan hold the highest number of titles (4), followed by Turkmenistan (3), Kyrgyzstan (2), Kuwait, Chinese Taipei, and Myanmar (1 each). The most successful side in the competition is Regar-TadAZ with three titles in the President's Cup era. The inaugural winners of the AFC Challenge League were Arkadag who defeated Svay Rieng by 2–1 in the 2025 final. Kuwait SC won the second edition, once again against Svay Rieng, by winning 4–3 in the 2026 final.

LEAGUE TABLE

AFC Challenge League standings

Standings are not available for this league or season.

Tables are available for selected soccer competitions and seasons only. No positions are estimated.

MATCH CALENDAR

Upcoming fixtures

0 matches
No upcoming fixtures found for this season.
MATCH RESULTS

Recent results

34 matches
PARTICIPATING CLUBS

Teams in AFC Challenge League

24 clubs