Kuala lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the eagerly anticipated AFC Women's Champions League 2025/26 group stage draw will occur on Thursday at 3 pm. This significant event will take place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, marking a key milestone for the 12 participating teams as they prepare to discover their group stage opponents.

According to Emirates News Agency, the final line-up for this second edition of the prestigious tournament will be divided into three groups, each containing four teams. The teams will compete in a centralized league format from November 9 to November 23. The line-up includes the continent's top six clubs, determined by the AFC Women's Club Competition Ranking 2024/25, alongside six clubs that advanced through the preliminary stage, which featured a record 19 teams.

Defending champions Wuhan Jiangda Women's FC from China PR will be returning to the competition. Meanwhile, eight clubs are set to make their group stage debuts: Tokyo Verdy Beleza, ISPE WFC, Lion City Sailors FC, PFC Nasaf, East Bengal FC, Suwon FC Women, Stallion Laguna FC, and Naegohyang Women's FC. The latter four teams will also be making their continental debuts.

The teams have been seeded for the draw based on the competition ranking, with Wuhan Jiangda taking the top seed position. The three hosts have been placed in a separate pot for the draw. Matches will be hosted across three countries: Myanmar from November 9 to 15, Vietnam from November 13 to 19, and China from November 17 to 23.

Upon completion of the group stage, eight clubs will advance to the knockout stage. These will include the top two finishers from each group and the two best third-placed clubs overall. The knockout stage will feature single-leg quarter-final pairings, determined by another draw, and matches will be played in March 2026.