Saudi Arabia Maintains Top Spot in AFC Club Rankings

2026-02-23
22:41:19

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has maintained its top position in the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) club rankings, according to the latest update for the mid-season of the 2025-2026 season.

The Kingdom's points tally in the AFC rankings has risen to 122,195 thanks to the victories of its representatives in Asian competitions this season, which have reached 25 wins so far.

Japan comes in second with 108,952 points, while the UAE is second in the West Zone with 74,253 points.

Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ittihad qualified for the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Elite, while Al-Nassr advanced to the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League 2.

For his part, the President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser bin Hassan Al-Misehal, expressed his deepest gratitude to the wise leadership for its generous support of the sports sector, especially football, which he considers the cornerstone of Saudi sports achievements. He also commended the efforts of His Royal Highness the Minister of Sport in providing all necessary resources and continuous support to the Kingdom's clubs.

Al-Misehal praised the qualification of Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ittihad for the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Elite, and Al-Nassr's qualification for the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League 2, which reflects Saudi Arabia's leading position in the Asian club competition rankings. He wished the nation's representatives success and continued progress towards winning the two Asian titles.

It is worth noting that the AFC club rankings for member associations are issued at the end of each sporting season, which based on the teams' performances in Asian competitions over the past nine years and are used to allocate slots for each country in Asian tournaments.