TEHRAN – The cast of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025-26 are set to discover their Group Stage opponents on Thursday, September 11, when the official draw takes place at 3pm.
To be conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, the 12-strong final line-up for the second edition will be divided into three equal groups and do battle in a centralized league format between November 9 to 23, 2025.
The teams comprise the Continent’s top six clubs—as per the AFC Women’s Club Competition Ranking 2024/25—and six more that came through the Preliminary Stage, which featured a record 19 sides and concluded on August 31.
China PR’s Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC will return to defend its title, while eight clubs are set for their Group Stage debuts: Tokyo Verdy Beleza, ISPE WFC, Lion City Sailors FC, PFC Nasaf, East Bengal FC, Suwon FC Women, Stallion Laguna FC and Naegohyang Women’s FC—with the latter four sides also making their Continental debuts.
The teams have been seeded for the draw based on the Competition Ranking, with title-holder Wuhan Jiangda as the top seed and the three hosts in a separate pot, as below:
Pot 1: Melbourne City FC (AUS; Rank: 1), Suwon FC Women (KOR; 2)
Pot 2: Tokyo Verdy Beleza (JPN; 3), Bam Khatoon FC (IRN; 7)
Pot 3: Stallion Laguna FC (PHI; 9), East Bengal FC (IND; 11), Naegohyang Women’s FC (PRK; 13)
Pot 4: PFC Nasaf (UZB; 14), Lion City Sailors FC (SGP; 23)
Hosts Pot: Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC (CHN; 4, Seed: 1), Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC (VIE; 5, Seed: 2), ISPE WFC (MYA; 15, Seed: 4)