JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Al Ahli Saudi FC will compete against Japanese side FC Machida Zelvia in the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite final on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The match is scheduled to take place at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah at 19:15 AST.
Al Ahli, the defending champions, secured their position in the final following a 2-1 victory over Vissel Kobe on April 20. After Yoshinori Muto opened the scoring for the Japanese side in the 31st minute, second-half goals from Galeno and Ivan Toney completed the turnaround for Al Ahli. This marks Al Ahli’s third appearance in a continental final, following their participation in 2012 and their championship win in the 2024–25 season.
FC Machida Zelvia advanced to the final after a 1-0 win against Shabab Al Ahli on April 21, with Yuki Soma scoring the decisive goal in the 12th minute. This victory marks Machida Zelvia’s third consecutive 1-0 win in the competition and their seventh clean sheet of the current campaign. The club is making its debut in a continental final and seeks to become the first debutant to win the title since Western Sydney Wanderers in 2014.
Should Al Ahli Saudi FC win, they will become the first club to successfully defend the AFC Champions League title since Al Ittihad in 2005. The match will be officiated under the centralized finals format currently hosted in Jeddah.