Kuala Lumpur: Heralding a new era of success and progress for women’s football in Asia, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed today the number of participating teams for the highly-anticipated inaugural season of the AFC Women’s Champions League™, which will get underway in August.
The official draw ceremonies for both the Preliminary Stage and Group Stage will be conducted on Thursday, July 18 at the AFC House, starting from 5pm AEST.
Twenty-two Member Associations (MAs) who have expressed interest in taking part will each be represented by one club for the landmark 2024/25 campaign of the showpiece, which was announced last August.
Clubs from the top eight MAs, as ranked according to the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking (as of March 15, 2024), will qualify directly to the Group Stage, which comprises three groups of four teams to be contested in a centralised league format from October 6 to 12.
The remaining 14 clubs will have to make it through the Preliminary Stage that features four groups – two groups of four teams and two groups of three – to be played in a centralised league format between August 25 and 31, with the four group winners qualifying for the Group Stage.
Jordan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand will host one group each in the Preliminary Stage, while China PR and Vietnam will be hosting one group each in the Group Stage. The third remaining host for the Group Stage will be identified after the Draw Ceremony and confirmed prior to the commencement of the Group Stage.
The list of clubs and their respective MA rankings can be found below:
| Rank | Member Association | Club |
| 1 | Japan | Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies |
| 2 | DPR Korea | Naegohyang Women’s FC |
| 3 | Australia | Melbourne City FC |
| 4 | China PR | Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC |
| 5 | Korea Republic | Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC |
| 6 | Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC |
| 7 | Philippines | Kaya FC-Iloilo |
| 8 | Chinese Taipei | Taichung Blue Whale Women’s Football Team |
| 9 | Thailand | TBC* |
| 10 | Uzbekistan | PFC Nasaf |
| 11 | Myanmar | Myawady Women Football Club |
| 12 | Islamic Republic of Iran | Bam Khatoon FC |
| 13 | India | Odisha Football Club |
| 14 | Jordan | Etihad Club |
| 15 | Hong Kong, China | TBC* |
| 16 | Laos | Young Elephants FC |
| 17 | Malaysia | Sabah FA |
| 18 | Nepal | APF Football Club |
| 19 | United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi Country Club |
| 20 | Singapore | Lion City Sailors FC |
| 21 | Bhutan | RTC FC |
| 22 | Saudi Arabia | Al Nassr Club |
*clubs to be confirmed following completion of ongoing domestic competitions
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