Kuala Lumpur, 18 August 2026 – The AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 League Stage draw took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the afternoon of August 18, confirming the eight opponents awaiting Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) in their maiden campaign in Asia’s premier club competition.
The 2026/27 season marks the first time the competition’s League Stage will feature 32 clubs, and it will also be Hanoi Police FC’s first appearance at the highest level of Asian club football.
After winning the 2025/26 V.League championship, CAHN secured their place in the League Stage by defeating Adelaide United 2-0 away from home in the playoff on August 11. David Henen and Perea scored the goals that sealed the Vietnamese champions’ historic qualification.
CAHN to Face Five Japanese Clubs
The draw handed Alexandre Polking’s side a demanding schedule featuring some of the strongest teams in East Asian football.
CAHN will play four matches at home against:
- Kashima Antlers (Japan)
- Vissel Kobe (Japan)
- Beijing FC (China)
- Kyoto Sanga (Japan)
Their four away fixtures will be against:
- Shanghai Port (China)
- Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (Malaysia)
- Kashiwa Reysol (Japan)
- Gamba Osaka (Japan)
The draw therefore means CAHN will face five Japanese opponents, as well as two Chinese clubs and Malaysian powerhouse Johor Darul Ta’zim.
The League Stage is expected to begin on September 14, 2026 and run until February 2027.
Once all eight rounds have been completed, the top eight clubs in both the East and West regions will qualify for the Round of 16, scheduled for March 2027.
The competition will then move to its centralized final stages, with the quarterfinals, semifinals and final scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from April 23 to May 1, 2027.
New 32-Team League Stage Format
The AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 features 32 clubs divided equally into East and West regions, with 16 teams in each region.
Instead of a traditional group-stage format, every club will face eight different opponents during the League Stage. Teams will then be ranked in a single regional table, with the top eight from each region progressing to the knockout rounds.
For the draw, the 16 East Region clubs were divided into four seeding pots. As the reigning V.League champions, CAHN were placed in Pot 4 and assigned two opponents from each of the four pots, creating an eight-match schedule consisting of four home and four away fixtures.
AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 – West Region
The 16 clubs competing in the West are Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli, Al-Qadsiah and Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia; Pakhtakor and Neftchi from Uzbekistan; Al Ain, Shabab Al Ahli and Al Wasl from the UAE; Al Sadd, Al Gharafa and Al Shamal from Qatar; Esteghlal and Tractor from Iran; and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya from Iraq.
AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 – East Region
Alongside Hanoi Police FC, the East Region features Port FC, Ratchaburi and Buriram United from Thailand; Johor Darul Ta’zim from Malaysia; Kashima Antlers, Vissel Kobe, Kashiwa Reysol, Kyoto Sanga and Gamba Osaka from Japan; Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Daejeon Hana Citizen and Pohang Steelers from South Korea; Newcastle Jets from Australia; and Chinese representatives Shanghai Port and Beijing FC.
For Hanoi Police FC, the draw sets up a challenging but historic continental campaign. With five Japanese opponents among their eight League Stage fixtures, Polking’s side will face an immediate test of their ability to compete against some of Asia’s most established clubs.
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