The AFC Competitions Committee has proposed a significant restructuring of the continent's premier club tournament. Beginning with the 2026/27 season, the AFC Champions League Elite will increase its group stage participants from 24 to 32 teams. This expansion aims to enhance the tournament’s commercial appeal and broaden its geographical reach, allowing more clubs to compete at the highest level of Asian football.

Under the new format, the competition will maintain its regional split into East and West zones, with 16 clubs competing in each. The qualification process for the knockout stages will also be updated: the top six teams from each zone will secure direct entry into the Round of 16. Meanwhile, the teams finishing between 7th and 10th place will face off in a new play-off round to determine the final participants for the knockout phase.

Due to concerns regarding the congested international match calendar, the introduction of the additional play-off stage for mid-tier teams will be deferred. While the tournament will expand to 32 clubs in the 2026/27 season, the extra knockout matches are expected to be integrated in subsequent years. All proposed changes remain subject to final approval by the AFC Executive Committee before official implementation.

Turkmenistan’s clubs, currently positioned in lower tiers of the AFC club licensing ranking, will continue to represent the nation in the AFC Champions League 2 and the AFC Challenge League. This expansion of the Elite division serves as a benchmark for national associations to improve their rankings. By fostering a more inclusive and competitive environment, the AFC hopes to elevate the overall standard of club football across Asia.