AFC Champions League Elite:
Iran granted two direct spots in league phase for 2026/27 season
Iran has been guaranteed two direct berths in the league phase of the AFC Champions League Elite for the 2026/27 campaign.
The Asian Football Confederation unveiled the slot allocation for next season’s revamped 32-team competition, which saw Iran secure two direct berths in the West zone’s 16-team table – an improvement from the previous two editions, which saw one Iranian club forced to find its way through the qualifying playoffs.
Sepahan failed to advance to the league stage in the 2025/26 campaign after a 3-2 setback against Al Duhail in the playoffs and continued its Asian journey in the AFC Champions League Two, falling 3-2 on aggregate to Qatar’s Al Ahli in the round of 16.
Iran will be represented by one club at the second-tier club tournament next season, the new slot allocation confirms.
Clubs from the Saudi and Japanese top-flight leagues, meanwhile, are due to see their slots in the elite competition increased to five, including three direct ones, from next season. Japan had three automatic berths in the league phase over the previous two editions, while Saudi Arabia had two plus a playoff place.
The United Arab Emirates has also seen its allowance increase to three automatic slots with one playoff place available, while Qatar has been granted three confirmed berths.
Esteghlal, Sepahan, and Tractor have been selected as Iran’s continental competitors after the country’s Football Federation announced last week that the remaining eight rounds of the Persian Gulf Pro League fixtures – postponed since February 28, when the United States and Israel initiated a military campaign against Iran – will be staged after “the conclusion of the national team’s games at the FIFA World Cup (June 11 – July 19).”
With the AFC setting May 31 as the deadline for confirming the 2026/27 continental club lineup, the Iranian federation was left with no choice but to put forward the league’s current top three for the two tournaments.
Esteghlal tops the table with 41 points from 22 games – two points clear of second-placed Tractor and Sepahan.
Tractor finished third in the West’s 12-team table of the newly concluded elite season with 17 points from eight matches before suffering a 3-0 loss to the UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli in the round of 16 a fortnight ago.