The 2025–26 AFC Challenge League knockout stage began on 5 March with the quarter-finals, and ended on 13 May 2026 with the final being hosted by the West region finalist. A total of eight teams competed in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2025–26 AFC Challenge League.
Qualified teams The following teams advanced from the group stage: The winners of the groups and the best runner-up in the West Region (Groups A–C). The winners and runner-ups of each group in the East Region (Groups D–E).
RegionGroupWinnersRunners-upWest RegionA Al-ShababB Al-Kuwait Al-AnsarC Muras UnitedEast RegionD PKR Svay Rieng Manila DiggerE Dewa United Banten Phnom Penh Crown
Format In the knockout stage, the eight teams will play a single-elimination tournament. Each tie will be played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, except the final which is played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winners if necessary. (Regulations Article 10).
RoundMatchupsQuarter-finalsWest Region (Matchups and order of legs determined by identity of best runners-up: first team listed host first leg, second team listed host second leg) If best runners-up from Group A QF1: Group A runners-up vs. Group B winners QF2: Group C winners vs. Group A winners If best runners-up from Group B QF1: Group B runners-up vs. Group C winners QF2: Group A winners vs. Group B winners If best runners-up from Group C QF1: Group C runners-up vs. Group A winners QF2: Group B winners vs. Group C winners
East Region (First team listed host first leg, second team listed host second leg) QF3: Group E runners-up vs. Group D winners QF4: Group D runners-up vs. Group E winnersSemi-finals(First team listed host first leg, second team listed host second leg)
West Region SF1: Winners of QF1 vs. Winners of QF2
East Region SF2: Winners of QF3 vs. Winners of QF4Final(Winners of West Region semi-finals host match) Winners of SF1 vs. Winners of SF2
Schedule The quarter-finals for the West region was postponed due to the impacts from the 2026 Iran war. On March 24, AFC announced that all West Region quarter-finals and semi-finals matches would be changed to single-leg ties at a centralized venue.
The schedule of each round is as follows.
StageRoundEast RegionWest Region19 April 2026Semi-finalsFinal13 May 2026
Bracket
Quarter-finals Summary
The West regions quarter-finals fixtures were postponed indefinitely by the AFC due to the impacts from the 2026 Iran war. The first legs for the East Region were played on 5 March, with the second legs on 12 March. The fixtures in the West Region were shortened to a single leg to be played on 19 April.
West Region
East Region
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng won 6–2 on aggregate.
Manila Digger won 3–2 on aggregate.
Semi-finals Summary
The first legs for the East Region were played on 9 April, with the second legs on 16 April 2026. The single-legged fixture for the West Region was played on 22 April.
West Region
East Region
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng won 4–1 on aggregate.
Final
The final took place on 13 May 2026, with the team from the West Region hosting the final. The winners also qualified for the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two group stage, unless they have already qualified for the Champions League Two through their league performance.
Notes
References
External links , the-AFC.com