Melbourne City’s AFC Champions League Elite League Stage opponents are locked in, with the draw conducted in Kuala Lumpur on Friday night revealing an exciting mix of fixtures for Aurelio Vidmar’s side.
We will welcome Buriram United, Johor Darul Ta’zim FC, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Gangwon FC to Melbourne, while travelling to face Ulsan HD FC, Vissel Kobe, FC Seoul and FC Machida Zelvia on the road.
The home clashes will see the return of former City star Curtis Good with Buriram, while Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s squad features ex-City midfielder Tolgay Arslan.
Full match details – including venues, dates and kick-off times – will be confirmed in due course, with the League Stage set to kick off on 16–17 September.
This year’s campaign will mark City’s third appearance in Asia’s top-tier competition, following our debut in 2022 and return in 2023/24. Despite losing just once across those two editions, we narrowly missed progression to the knockout stage on both occasions – something Vidmar’s squad will be determined to change this time around.
The AFC Champions League has undergone a major revamp since our last appearance, with the new Elite format seeing 12 teams in the East Region contest an eight-game League Stage. The top eight sides will then advance to the Round of 16, with home-and-away knockout ties to follow.
With four massive clashes to come at home and four tough trips abroad, the stage is set for another thrilling chapter in City’s history on the continental stage.
Stay tuned to our channels for the full fixture list and all the key details as we count down to our first match in mid-September.
