Detailed format of the AFC Champions League Elite, the tournament in which CAHN FC participates

The 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite gathers 32 leading Asian clubs with a rigorous structure.

The 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite continues to apply a format that divides the East and West zones in the League Stage, before the strongest teams converge in Saudi Arabia from the quarterfinals onward.

The 2026/27 season of the AFC Champions League Elite gathers 32 top Asian clubs, evenly split into two zones—East and West—with 16 teams each. This is the most prestigious club competition in Asia, and the champion earns a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

In the East zone, teams are divided into four seeding pots for the draw, primarily based on AFC rankings. The four seeding pots are as follows:

Pot 1: Kashima Antlers, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Buriram United, and Shanghai Port.

Pot 2: Newcastle Jets, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Vissel Kobe, and Daejeon Hana Citizen.

Pot 3: Port FC, Beijing FC, Kashiwa Reysol, and Pohang Steelers.

Pot 4: Ratchaburi, Kyoto Sanga, Gamba Osaka, and Cong An Ha Noi FC.

In the League Stage, each club plays 8 matches against 8 opponents from the same zone, consisting of 4 home games and 4 away games.

The results of these 8 matches are compiled into a single zonal standings table. After the League Stage concludes, the top 8 teams from each zone advance to the Round of 16.

This format makes every League Stage match crucial, as clubs do not play a double round-robin against all 15 opponents in their zone.

In the Round of 16, teams are paired based on their League Stage positions. The first-placed team faces the eighth-placed team, the second meets the seventh, the third takes on the sixth, and the fourth plays the fifth.

Unlike the later rounds, the Round of 16 is conducted as a two-legged tie, with each team playing one home and one away match. The aggregate winner advances to the quarterfinals.

From the quarterfinals onward, the East and West zones are no longer separated. All matches from the quarterfinals to the final are held as single-elimination fixtures at a centralized venue in Saudi Arabia, as designated by the AFC. This applies to the final as well.

Thus, the journey of Cong An Ha Noi FC and other representatives in the East zone begins with 8 matches in the League Stage. If they finish among the top 8 teams, they will proceed through the two-legged Round of 16 before heading to the centralized knockout stage in Saudi Arabia.

CAHN FC enters the continent's premier club competition with a schedule consisting of 4 home matches and 4 away matches. According to the draw results, the four opponents CAHN will host at home are Kashima Antlers, Vissel Kobe, Beijing FC, and Kyoto Sanga.

Meanwhile, in their 4 away fixtures, the Vietnamese representative will face Shanghai Port, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Kashiwa Reysol, and Gamba Osaka, respectively.

The League Stage will kick off on September 14, 2026, and conclude on February 17, 2027. The Round of 16, played over two legs, is scheduled to take place in March 2027.

The final round of the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite is expected to be held in Saudi Arabia from April 23, 2027, to May 1, 2027.