Super Cup winners FC Goa qualified for the AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 preliminary round
Should they beat Al-Seeb of Oman, Goa will join ISL rivals Mohun Bagan in the group stage
The AFC Champions League Two is a continuation of the AFC Cup
The AFC Champions League Two 2025-26, previously called the AFC Cup until its rebranding in 2024, is Asia’s second-tier continental club football competition, ranking just below the AFC Champions League Elite and above the AFC Challenge League.
FC Goa’s participation in the AFC Champions League Two group stage will be determined through a playoff round against Al-Seeb, a top club from Oman. This crucial match, to be played in Goa, acts as a single-legged shoot-out, with the winners securing a group stage berth in the main tournament and the losers dropping to the AFC Challenge League.
The Gaurs qualified for this playoff after winning the Super Cup. This marks FC Goa’s first continental campaign since 2021, when they became the first Indian club to reach the AFC Champions League group stage, highlighting the growing presence of Indian football clubs in Asian competitions. Indian Super League winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant will enter the group stage directly.
AFC Champions League Two Explained
The tournament divides clubs into East and West regions, with 32 teams competing in the group stage. This is followed by a knockout phase featuring home-and-away ties and culminating in a single-match final.
The league-stage draw ensures teams do not play every other club in their region, but each team plays eight games to determine standings. The top eight from each region's table enter the round of 16, with the progression ultimately producing a finalist from each zone, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competition structure.
The competition has seen a significant increase in prize money to enhance competitiveness and attract higher-ranked clubs. For the 2024–25 season, the total prize pool was USD 16.62 million, with the champions receiving USD 2.5 million and group stage participants earning USD 300,000 each.
This financial boost aims to elevate the tournament’s profile and encourage investment in Asian club football.
The AFC Champions League Two is a continuation of the AFC Cup, instituted to expand inclusivity for emerging Asian football nations. On December 23, 2022, the AFC announced a new competition structure, splitting the top tiers into regionalized leagues and renaming its second-tier contest.
The competition rewards the winners with qualification to the next year’s AFC Champions League Elite playoffs. Unlike the AFC Champions League Elite, all knockout rounds are conducted as home-and-away ties until the final, which is a single-leg fixture.
The shift from zonal to regional splits and inclusion of new member associations were introduced to balance competitive opportunities across Asia’s club football landscape, supported by increased commercial investment and rising visibility for clubs like FC Goa and Mohun Bagan Super Giant
