Asia’s biggest stage awaits. On Friday night, Melbourne City will discover our AFC Champions League Elite League Stage opponents, with the revamped competition set to get underway in mid-September.
The competition has undergone a major transformation since we last featured in 2023/24, making now the perfect time to brush up on everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s draw.
How did we get here?
We secured our place in this year’s competition thanks to our second-placed finish on the A-League Men’s table last season. While that position would normally be reserved for the Premiers, Auckland FC’s ineligibility made it one of the most important finishes in our Club’s history.
This will be our third time competing in Asia’s top-tier competition. Despite losing just one game across our two previous campaigns, we’re still chasing a first-ever appearance in the knockout stages – something Aurelio Vidmar’s squad will be determined to achieve this time around.
Who can we draw?
We’re one of 12 clubs in the East Region League Stage, which includes heavyweights such as Japan’s Vissel Kobe and Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Korea’s FC Seoul and Ulsan HD, and more.
City has been placed in Pot 1, where we will be drawn from and placed into the Draw Grid and subsequently, a pairing grid to determine our opponents.
The pairing grid will reveal a total of eight opponents, with four games to be played at home and four to be played away.
| POT 1 | POT 2 |
| Vissel Kobe (JPN) | Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) |
| Ulsan HD FC (KOR) | Gangwon FC (KOR) |
| Shanghai Port FC (CHN) | Shanghai Shenhua FC (CHN) |
| Buriram United (THA) | FC Machida Zelvia (JPN) |
| Melbourne City FC (AUS) | FC Seoul (KOR) |
| Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (MAS) | Chengdu Rongcheng FC (CHN) |
When will the games be?
As per the AFC calendar, our first League Stage fixture will be played on either 16 or 17 September, with the stage running through to mid-February.
Full match details, including venues and kick-off times, will be confirmed shortly after the draw.
| MD | SCHEDULED DATES |
| MD1 | 16-17 September, 2025 |
| MD2 | 30 September-1 October, 2025 |
| MD3 | 21-22 October, 2025 |
| MD4 | 4-5 November, 2025 |
| MD5 | 25-26 November, 2025 |
| MD6 | 9-10 December, 2025 |
| MD7 | 10-11 February, 2026 |
| MD8 | 17-18 February, 2026 |
How do I tune in?
Friday’s draw will take place in Kuala Lumpur and will be streamed live and free via YouTube.
The ceremony begins at 7:00pm AEST, with all 24 clubs from the West and East Regions learning their fates.
