Saudi Arabia to host finals of Asia's top club competition

Saudi Arabia will host the final stages of Asia's top club competition for two years, the Asian Football Confederation said Friday, ahead of the country likely hosting the World Cup.

The 24-team AFC Champions League Elite will next season replace the existing Champions League, with $12 million going to the winning side.

The region's top 24 clubs will be divided into two leagues of 12 across East and West and compete home and away for a place in the last 16.

The eight winners will advance to a Final Stage -- where teams play the quarter-finals, semis and final in a single-leg format -- which will be held in Saudi Arabia for the first two editions in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

Saudi Arabia beat off a bid submitted by Iraq's football association "after evaluating the infrastructure and accommodation requirements as well as all other key operational aspects", the AFC said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia is the only bidder for the 2034 World Cup.

It is already hosting the FIFA Club World Cup later this month, the 2027 Asian Cup and 2034 Asian Games.