Elements of the Continent’s rich cultural tapestry have been elegantly incorporated into its classic vase form, with the motif of the lotus flower at its heart – a powerful emblem of the growth, strength and resilience that thrives throughout Asia.

 

An iconic new trophy that reflects the prestige of the ACL Elite, one of the best Continental club competitions in world football, the 70-centimetre-tall piece was handcrafted by world-renowned trophy makers, Thomas Lyte. The London-based luxury goldsmiths and silversmiths, who hold a Royal Warrant, are responsible for making many of the world's biggest trophies in professional sports, including the AFC Asian Cup™ and AFC Women’s Asian Cup™.

The ACL Elite trophy noticeably possesses a similar visual link with its ACL Two counterpart, underlining their interconnected nature; both are also part of the larger family of trophies for the revamped AFC club competitions, comprising the AFC Women’s Champions League™ and AFC Challenge League, with each featuring recognisable silhouettes.

The tournament name is intricately wire-eroded around the lip of the ACL Elite trophy, further enhancing its sophisticated and modern design, while the champion club names will be engraved on the large, closed-curve square base.

 

Poised to elevate the pinnacle stage of the Asian club game to even greater heights in the coming years, the ACL Elite will crown its inaugural winners from the 24 teams that were involved in the League Stage draw on Friday.

The 2024/25 cast was divided into two leagues of 12 teams across the West and East regions, with each team to play against eight different opponents within its region in the form of four home and four away matches from September 16, 2024 to February 12, 2025.

 

The top eight teams from each League progress to the Round of 16, scheduled from March 3 to 12, 2025, which will be followed by a unique centralised Finals where all matches from the Quarter-finals onwards are contested in Saudi Arabia between April 25 to May 4, 2025. 

 

Over a billion football fans are expected to follow the thrilling showdowns in the ACL Elite, which will see the clubs being supported by significant increases in financial distribution – teams in the League Stage take home a minimum of USD 800,000, while the champions are guaranteed to receive at least USD 12 million.