Asian Champions League draw: Holders Al-Ahli to face former winners Al Ain

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, reported that the draw for the expanded AFC Champions League Elite set up a headline league-phase meeting between Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli and 2024 winners Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates. The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur and also paired Al-Ahli with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, along with several other clubs from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Uzbekistan.

The report said Al-Ahli are the defending champions after winning the 2026 title, and that the club is now coached by Marino Pusic following Matthias Jaissle’s departure for Newcastle United. Al-Nassr, one of the Saudi Pro League sides in the competition, were also drawn against Al Ain. Al Hilal, another Saudi heavyweight and four-time Asian champions, were placed in the same group of opponents as Al-Ahli.

According to the article, the competition has grown from 24 to 32 teams, with the league phase scheduled to run from September 14 to February 17. Clubs are split into western and eastern sections, with the top eight from each side moving on to the knockout rounds. The regional format continues through the last 16 before the finals phase, including the quarterfinals, semifinals and final, is set to be played in Saudi Arabia from April 23 to May 1.