AFC soccer show clash of titans in Jeddah digs

Article posted by Coliseum, March 3^rd, 2025

Image: King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, saudipics, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has recently confirmed the venues for the AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals 2024-2025 which will see Asia’s top eight clubs battle for supremacy in a centralized format in single-leg ties from April 25^th-May 3^rd, 2025.

‘AFC’ stated that following the decision to appoint the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) as the Host Association for the AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals for the 2024-2025 and the 2025-2026 seasons in December 2023 the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium and the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) have been selected to host the decisive battles of the most sought-after club prize in Asian football.

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)-based the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer and futsal in most countries and territories in Asia. The AFC was formed in 1954.

The AFC Champions League Elite™ (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club football competition organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and contested by Asia’s top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition in Asian football played by the national league champions (and, for some nations, one or more runners-up) of their national associations.

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)-based the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is the football governing body of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1956, its responsibilities include administration of the club competitions and the national teams.

The 63,079-capacity King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, also known as the Alinma Stadium due to sponsorship reasons, also nicknamed ‘The Shining Jewel’, or simply ‘The Jewel’, is a multiuse stadium and the main stadium of the Sports City located 30 kilometers North of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The 27,000-capacity Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, also known as the Al-Faisal Stadium, is a football stadium in the Port City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

‘AFC’ further stated that both the above stadiums – which will also host the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ – are poised to set the backdrop for two Quarterfinal ties and one Semifinal encounter each. The eagerly anticipated Final is set to be held at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium where the eventual winners will claim the biggest-ever prize purse in Asian club football history of USD12 million.

As part of the most strategic and game-changing reforms ever to be introduced the financial reward is three times more than the equivalent of the 2023-204 seasons. Similarly, the losing finalist will also receive a threefold increase of USD6 million.

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