Official: Vietnam secures a spot in the Asian Champions League playoff.

Vietnamese football receives exciting news from AFC, officially gaining a spot in the Asian Champions League playoff and a direct entry to the Asian Cup 2 for the 2026/27 season.

On April 24th afternoon, the Professional Football Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held a crucial meeting in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), passing a series of amendments to the regulatory system aimed at enhancing the professional standards of club-level football, while also adjusting the allocation of continental tournament slots starting from the 2026/27 season.

One of the notable contents was the approval of amendments to the Regulations for Participation in Club-Level Competitions (2025 edition), specifically applied for the 2026/27 season. These adjustments were made to align with the expansion of the AFC Champions League Elite from 24 to 32 teams.

Significantly with this decision, Vietnamese football officially secures a spot in the playoff round of the Asian Champions League Elite for the 2026/27 season. This marks the first time a Vietnamese representative has the opportunity to advance closer to the continent's most prestigious club-level competition.

Specifically, according to the latest announcement from AFC, the champion of V-League 2025/26 will earn the right to participate in the AFC Champions League Elite playoff round. Meanwhile, the runner-up will directly enter the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two.

Being awarded a playoff spot is seen as a significant advancement for Vietnamese football on the Asian map. Previously, V-League representatives typically only participated in lower-tier competitions or had to start from the preliminary rounds. Now, the gateway to the highest-level tournament has opened wider, albeit accompanied by considerable challenges.

To secure a ticket to the AFC Champions League Elite group stage, the V-League champion must overcome the playoff round, which includes participation from many strong clubs from top Asian football nations such as Japan, South Korea, China, and Australia. This will undoubtedly be a rigorous test of the Vietnamese representative's skill, resilience, and squad depth.