Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli will face 2024 champions Al-Ain of the UAE in the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite, setting up one of the most intriguing early clashes of Asia’s revamped continental competition.
The road to a third straight AFC Champions League Elite crown has suddenly become much more demanding for Al-Ahli.
The reigning Asian champions were drawn against former winners Al-Ain in the league phase of the 2026/27 competition following Tuesday’s draw in Kuala Lumpur. The matchup pits Saudi Arabia’s back-to-back champions against the club that lifted the continental trophy in 2024.
Al-Ahli enter the new campaign as the team everyone will be watching. The Jeddah club successfully defended its continental crown in April 2026, defeating Japan’s Machida Zelvia 1-0 after extra time to become the first club since Al-Ittihad more than two decades ago to win the competition in consecutive seasons.
But there is a major change awaiting the defending champions.
A Bigger Champions League — And A Tougher Road
The 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite has been expanded from 24 to 32 clubs, with 16 teams competing in each of the West and East regions. The league phase begins on September 14 and runs through February 17.
Instead of a traditional group-stage format, the clubs are split into regional leagues. The top eight teams from each region will advance to the knockout rounds, with the Round of 16 still played on a regional basis. The four surviving teams from each side will then advance to the centralized finals in Saudi Arabia.
That makes every league-phase fixture important—and Al-Ahli’s draw is hardly a soft landing.
Al-Ahli’s Challengers
Along with Al-Ain, Al-Ahli will face Qatar’s Al-Sadd, Al-Shamal and Al-Gharafa, UAE clubs Shabab Al-Ahli and Al-Wasl, and Uzbekistan’s Neftchi and Pakhtakor.
The Al-Ain matchup stands out immediately.
Al-Ain remain one of Asia’s most recognizable continental forces, having won the 2024 AFC Champions League. Their presence gives Al-Ahli an early test against a club with recent experience of lifting the trophy rather than simply qualifying for the competition.
New Coach, Same Expectations
Al-Ahli will also begin its title defence under a new manager.
Marino Pusic has taken charge following the departure of Matthias Jaissle, who left the Saudi club to join Newcastle United. Pusic therefore inherits a side that has already set an extraordinarily high standard: continental champions in consecutive seasons.
That transition could become one of the biggest storylines of the campaign.
Jaissle was the coach who guided Al-Ahli to its historic first continental crown in 2025 and then helped the club repeat the feat in 2026. The challenge for Pusic will be maintaining that winning mentality while navigating an expanded competition and a deeper schedule.
The Bigger Picture
The West region is loaded with heavyweight matchups, meaning Al-Ahli will not have the luxury of easing into its title defence.
Meanwhile, the East region features another collection of former champions. Japan’s Kashima Antlers, the most recent East Asian side in the current competition to have won the title, were drawn against two-time champions Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea, as well as several other established Asian clubs.
The format will ultimately produce eight regional quarter-finalists, with the final stages returning to Saudi Arabia for the third consecutive year. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are scheduled to take place from April 23 to May 1, 2027.
For Al-Ahli, however, the mission is already clear.
They are no longer chasing their first Asian crown. They are defending a dynasty they have only just begun building.
And with Al-Ain waiting in the new-look Champions League, their attempt at a third straight title may be tested much earlier than expected.
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