Kuala Lumpur: SiltaNews – News Desk
The quest for glory in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) 2025/26 will continue apace when the first-leg ties of the Round of 16 take place between 2nd and 4th March. Less than two weeks after the conclusion of the League Stage, the remaining 16 contenders are ready to do battle for a place in the last eight, which will be staged in Jeddah in April.
The cast features six clubs that made it to this stage in the previous season, including defending champions Al Ahli Saudi FC, as well as two continental debutants in Gangwon FC and FC Machida Zelvia. Five former winners are also in the mix to lift the trophy again at the 23rd edition of Asia’s top-tier men’s club tournament under the ACL banner. The action kicks off on 2nd March at the Rashid Stadium in Dubai at 8 pm, where Shabab Al Ahli welcome Tractor FC.
The UAE hosts, who won the domestic double in 2024/25, have reached their fifth Knockout Stage in their 10th tournament appearance, and their best finish came in 2015 as runners-up. With two last-16 exits in the past, Iran’s visitors-who won the league for the first time in 2024/25-will aim to surpass that in their third knockout appearance in seven participations. This is the pair’s third meeting, with the most recent being a draw in the League Stage.
At 9:15 pm, Al Duhail SC host holders Al Ahli Saudi FC at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, having played out a 2-2 draw in the League Stage. Semi-finalists in 2022, Qatar’s Al Duhail are featuring for an eighth time in the knockouts on their 13th tournament showing, while their Saudi Arabian opponents have now reached this point for the 10th occasion in 14 appearances.
On 3rd March, only one point separated Al Wahda FC and Al Ittihad Club in the League Stage, and the 8:00 pm clash at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi represents a seventh encounter, with the former’s win on the first matchday only their second ever. The UAE’s hosts, who were Semi-finalists in 2007, are playing their fifth Knockout Stage in 11 appearances, while the away side are the reigning Saudi Arabian league champions and playing in the knockouts for a 10th time in 13 showings, with an eye on a third crown to add to their 2004 and 2005 triumphs.
With 18 tournament appearances, the most of any Qatari club, Al Sadd SC has now advanced to the knockouts for a ninth occasion, and the 2011 winners-who reached the quarters last season-will play host at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha to Al Hilal SFC at 9:15 pm. The second legs of the Round of 16 are scheduled for 9th to 11th March, and the eight clubs that progress will be in the hat for the ACL Elite Finals Jeddah 2026 draw on 25th March, with the centralised Finals to play out between 16th and 25th April 2026.