VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan attends the draw ceremony for AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League Two.

On August 18, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, President of the VFF, serving as AFC Standing Committee member and Chairman of the AFC Competitions Committee, participated in the draw for the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite and 2026/27 AFC Champions League Two – Asia's top-tier club tournaments.

This is a key event kick-starting the 2026/27 season journey for the continent's top clubs. Notably, Vietnamese football has two representatives competing in these two tournaments: Hanoi Police FC in the AFC Champions League Elite and The Cong Viettel FC in the AFC Champions League Two.

In the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite, Hanoi Police FC earned their place in the League Stage after a 2-0 win over Adelaide United (Australia) in the play-off round. Goals from Henen and Koko helped the Vietnamese side overcome their Australian opponents, thereby making their first appearance in Asia's top club competition.

Hanoi Police FC's participation has also been highlighted by the AFC as one of the notable points of the new season. Along with Saudi Arabia's Al Qadsiah, the Vietnamese club will make its debut in the AFC Champions League Elite.

The 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite has been expanded to 32 teams, up from 24 in the previous season, with East and West Asia zones each having 16 teams. The league stage is scheduled to start on September 14, 2026, and run until February 17, 2027. The round of 16 will take place in March 2027, before the final stage is held in Saudi Arabia from April 23 to May 1, 2027.

Hanoi Police FC will have the opportunity to face top continental clubs, including many Asian champions such as Al Ain (UAE), Al Hilal and Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia), Al Sadd (Qatar), Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers (Japan), Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Pohang Steelers (South Korea). Notably, Al Ahli Saudi FC is aiming to become the first team in the tournament's history to win three consecutive titles.

Meanwhile, in the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Two, The Cong Viettel FC is the Vietnamese representative. This is the third season of the AFC Champions League Two under the new format, featuring 32 teams, evenly split between the East and West Asia zones. The group stage will kick off on September 15, 2026, in a home-and-away format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the round of 16.

The 2026/27 AFC Champions League Two brings together many traditional Asian clubs. Among them are former winners such as Al Faisaly (Jordan), Al Muharraq (Bahrain), Al Seeb (Oman), Kuwait SC, and PFC Nasaf (Uzbekistan). Gol Gohar Sirjan (Iran) and Kuching City (Malaysia) will make their debut in this competition. The final is scheduled for May 15, 2027, and will be held at the home ground of the East Asian representative that qualifies for the final.