A perilous road: 8 fixtures await Al-Ittihad in the AFC Champions League Elite
8 stops on the road to glory
Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia will play 8 matches in the league phase of the AFC Champions League Elite for the 2026-2027 season, in accordance with the competition's new format, with 4 fixtures at home and 4 away.
The 2026-2027 edition marks the forty-fifth staging of Asia's most important club tournament, organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is also the third edition since the competition was renamed the "AFC Champions League Elite".
This season brings a new milestone in the tournament's history. On 24 April 2026, the Asian Football Confederation announced an increase in the number of clubs in the league phase from 24 to 32, with 16 clubs each in the West and East regions.
Al-Ittihad's opponents at home
"The Dean" will play 4 matches at home against the following clubs:
Al Ain of the UAE.
Shabab Al-Ahli of the UAE.
Al-Gharafa of Qatar.
Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan.
Al-Ittihad's opponents away from home
"The Dean" will play 4 matches away from home against:
Al-Sadd of Qatar.
Al-Wasl of the UAE.
Neftchi of Uzbekistan.
Al-Shamal of Qatar.
A tough road awaits Al-Ittihad in the league phase. The draw pits them against opponents from different footballing schools in the West region, and they will need the best possible results across their eight matches to secure qualification for the knockout rounds and keep alive their bid for the AFC Champions League Elite title.
