AFC Challenge League
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Poster
Established
2005 (21 years old)
First Recorded Event
2024-08-13
Current Season
2026-2027
Current Round
2
Level Above
FIFA World Cup
Level Below
African Cup of Nations
Sport
SoccerLocation
Worldwide
Gender
Male
TV Rights
23 Oct 
Description
The AFC Challenge League (abbreviated as ACGL) is an annual third-tier continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. The competition is played among clubs from nations that do not receive qualifying slots to the league stage of top-tier AFC Champions League Elite or the group stage of second-tier AFC Champions League Two, based on the AFC club competitions ranking. The competition was initially launched by the AFC as the AFC President's Cup in 2005. The President's Cup was dissolved in 2014, and incorporated into the AFC Cup.
The 2024–25 season marked the inaugural edition of the rebranded AFC Challenge League, which featured a new format and an expanded group stage. The winners of the AFC Challenge League qualify for the group stage of the following season's AFC Champions League Two, while the runners-up qualify for the preliminary stage of the competition. Clubs from Tajikistan hold the highest number of titles (4), followed by Turkmenistan (3), Kyrgyzstan (2), Kuwait, Chinese Taipei, and Myanmar (1 each). The most successful side in the competition is Regar-TadAZ with three titles in the President's Cup era. The inaugural winners of the AFC Challenge League were Arkadag who defeated Svay Rieng by 2–1 in the 2025 final. Kuwait SC won the second edition, once again against Svay Rieng, by winning 4–3 in the 2026 final.
Seasons
2026-2027
Teams
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Last 5 winners
Kuwait SC (2025-2026)
Arkadag (2024-2025)Fanart
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