On Friday, the Asian Football Confederation announced that Saudi Arabia will host the finals of the first two editions of the new AFC Champions League, set to start next year. This new continental club competition will replace the current edition starting from September next year, featuring the best 24 clubs in the continent divided into two groups competing in a league format in both East and West Asia.
Teams will compete for a spot in the Round of 16 through two matches, one home and one away, while the eight winning teams will advance to the final round, which will take place in a single location and include the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals, with one match at each stage.
This move is part of a comprehensive review of club tournaments in Asia, which also included increasing the prize money for the continent's premier club competition to $12 million, up from just $4 million.
According to a statement from the Asian Football Confederation, Saudi Arabia won the rights to host the first two editions of the new finals after surpassing a bid from the Iraqi Football Association, "after evaluating aspects related to infrastructure and accommodation."
The statement added that Saudi Arabia has provisionally secured hosting rights for an additional three years, subject to performance evaluation in the first two editions.
Later this December, Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA Club World Cup and is also the only country to have bid to host the 2034 World Cup. Additionally, Saudi Arabia will host the AFC Asian Cup in 2027 and the Asian Games in 2034 in the capital, Riyadh.
