Jeddah will take centre stage in Asian football this April as Saudi Arabia hosts the concluding phase of the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite — the continent’s most prestigious club competition. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will all be played at two of the city’s premier venues, King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City, from April 16 to 25, 2026.
Jeddah at the Heart of Asian Football
The decision by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to host the knockout Finals as a centralised tournament in Jeddah underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing stature as a world-class sports destination. King Abdullah Sports City — widely known as the Jawhara Stadium — is one of the most architecturally striking arenas in the region, with a capacity of over 62,000 and state-of-the-art facilities that have previously hosted FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Saudi Pro League matches, and international friendships. Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium will serve as a second venue for the tournament’s earlier rounds.
A draw to determine the quarter-final pairings from the eight remaining clubs will be held on March 25, setting the stage for a ten-day festival of elite football that will attract fans, broadcasters, and football stakeholders from across Asia and beyond.
Saudi Clubs Among the Tournament’s Strongest Sides
The 2025–26 edition has seen strong performances from Saudi Arabia’s Roshn Pro League representatives throughout the West Region league stage. Al Hilal, Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad all progressed from the group phase, with Al Hilal finishing top of the West Region table unbeaten across eight matches — the only side in the entire tournament to complete the league stage without defeat. Al Hilal’s Darwin Núñez and Al Ittihad’s Youssef En-Nesyri were among the competition’s standout individual performers.
Al Ittihad ended the West Region stage as the tournament’s top scorers with 22 goals across eight matches, recovering from back-to-back opening defeats to win five of their final six games and seal qualification in style. Al Ahli, the defending continental champions, finished second in the standings and carried a formidable 21-goal tally into the knockout rounds.
A Legacy of Investment in Sport
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the ACL Elite Finals is part of a broader, long-term investment in sports infrastructure and international events that forms a core pillar of Vision 2030. From the FIFA World Cup 2034, which Saudi Arabia will host, to Formula 1, boxing world championships, and LIV Golf, the Kingdom has consistently positioned itself as a premier global venue for elite sport.
Hosting the ACL Elite Finals in Jeddah in 2026 builds on Saudi Arabia’s track record of staging international football at the highest level, while the presence of multiple Saudi clubs as legitimate title contenders gives the local audience a compelling sporting narrative to follow as April approaches.
