The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The winners of each ACL tournament win a direct ticket to the annual FIFA club world to represent their club on an international stage.

The tournament was formed in 2002 when the Asian Club Championship, the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup and the Asian Super Cup merged creating the ultimate platform for pan-Asian football.

From record-breaking wins to nail-biting draws, the AFC Champions League has seen some incredible game play. Here are some interesting facts & stats about the tournament.

Top Goalscorers

Korea Republic’s Lee Dong-gook and Serbian Dejan Damjanovic lead the all-time ACL goalscoring charts- having found the net 37 times each.

Biggest Winning Margin

Seongnam FC’s 15-0 win over Persik Kediri in the 2004 group stage was the biggest winning margin in ACL history.

Fan Power

Iran's Persepolis FC lead in terms of spectator turnout with the iconic Azadi Stadium having seen 100,000 fans in five different matches, the most recent being the 2018 final against Kashima Antlers.

Two-time winner

While several teams have won the AFC Champions League twice, Korea Republic’s Choi Kang-hee is the only head coach to have listed the trophy on two occasions- guiding Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to their 2006 and 2016 triumphs.

- The AFC