# 2020 AFC Champions League

The 2020 AFC Champions League was the 39th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 18th under the current AFC Champions League title.
Ulsan Hyundai won their second Champions League title by defeating Persepolis 2–1 in the final. Ulsan automatically qualify for the 2021 AFC Champions League (although they had already qualified through their domestic performance), the first time since 2008 that the AFC Champions League holders were guaranteed automatic qualification in the following year. They also earned the right to play in the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar.
The tournament was the last to involve 32 teams during the group stage, which increased to 40 teams in 2021.
The competition was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia after group stage matches on 4 March 2020, and restarted on 14 September 2020. All matches after the restart were played in Qatar, with the final played at the Al Janoub Stadium in the city of Al Wakrah.
Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia were the defending champions, but the club effectively withdrew from the competition when they could not name the required 13 players for their final group stage match, as all but 11 players had tested positive for COVID-19. For the first time, the video assistant referee (VAR) system was in use from the quarter-finals onwards.

## Association team allocation

The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the associate member Northern Mariana Islands) were ranked based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2019 and 2020 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2017 AFC rankings (Entry Manual Article 2.3):
* The associations were split into two regions:
** West Region consisted of the associations from the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA), and the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).
** East Region consisted of the associations from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF).
* In each region, there were four groups in the group stage, including a total of 12 direct slots, with the 4 remaining slots filled through play-offs.
* The top 12 associations in each region as per the AFC rankings were eligible to enter the AFC Champions League, as long as they fulfilled the AFC Champions League criteria.
* The top six associations in each region got at least one direct slot in the group stage, while the remaining associations got only play-off slots (as well as AFC Cup group stage slots):
** The associations ranked 1st and 2nd each got three direct slots and one play-off slot.
** The associations ranked 3rd and 4th each got two direct slots and two play-off slots.
** The associations ranked 5th each got one direct slot and two play-off slots.
** The associations ranked 6th each got one direct slot and one play-off slot.
** The associations ranked 7th to 12th each got one play-off slot.
* The maximum number of slots for each association was one-third of the total number of eligible teams in the top division.
* If any association gave up its direct slots, they were redistributed to the highest eligible association, with each association limited to a maximum of three direct slots.
* If any association gave up its play-off slots, they were annulled and not redistributed to any other association.

### Association ranking

For the 2020 AFC Champions League, the associations were allocated slots according to their association ranking which was published on 15 December 2017, which took into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup, as well as their national team's FIFA World Rankings, during the period between 2014 and 2017.
Participation for 2020 AFC Champions League :
* Participating
* Not participating

#### Notes

* ^ Australia (AUS): The top division run by the Football Federation Australia, the A-League, only had nine Australia-based teams in the 2018–19 season, so Australia could only get a maximum of three total slots (Entry Manual 5.4).
* ^ Syria (SYR): Syria did not have any teams which had an AFC Champions League license.

## Teams

The following 52 teams from 23 associations entered the competition.
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.
West Region :
| Team | Qualifying method | App (Last) |
| Sharjah | 2018–19 UAE Pro League champions | 2nd (2004) |
| Shabab Al-Ahli | 2018–19 UAE President's Cup winners 2018–19 UAE Pro League runners-up | 1st |
| Al-Wahda | 2018–19 UAE Pro League 3rd place | 11th (2019) |
| Al-Nassr | 2018–19 Saudi Professional League champions | 5th (2019) |
| Al-Taawoun | 2019 King Cup winners 2018–19 Saudi Professional League 3rd place | 2nd (2017) |
| Al-Hilal | 2018–19 Saudi Professional League runners-up | 16th (2019) |
| Al-Sadd | 2018–19 Qatar Stars League champions | 15th (2019) |
| Al-Duhail | 2019 Emir of Qatar Cup winners 2018–19 Qatar Stars League runners-up | 9th (2019) |
| Persepolis | 2018–19 Persian Gulf Pro League champions and 2018–19 Hazfi Cup winners and 2019 Iranian Super Cup winners | 9th (2019) |
| Sepahan | 2018–19 Persian Gulf Pro League runners-up | 12th (2016) |
| Pakhtakor | 2019 Uzbekistan Super League champions and 2019 Uzbekistan Cup winners | 16th (2019) |
| Al-Shorta | 2018–19 Iraqi Premier League champions | 4th (2014) |
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in play-off round :
| Team | Qualifying method | App (Last) |
| Al-Ain | 2018–19 UAE Pro League 4th place | 15th (2019) |
| Al-Ahli | 2018–19 Saudi Professional League 4th place | 12th (2019) |
| Al-Sailiya | 2018–19 Qatar Stars League 3rd place | 1st |
| Al-Rayyan | 2018–19 Qatar Stars League 4th place | 10th (2019) |
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 2 :
| Team | Qualifying method | App (Last) |
| Esteghlal | 2018–19 Persian Gulf Pro League 3rd place | 11th (2019) |
| Shahr Khodro | 2018–19 Persian Gulf Pro League 4th place | 1st |
| Lokomotiv Tashkent | 2019 Uzbekistan Super League runners-up | 8th (2019) |
| Bunyodkor | 2019 Uzbekistan Super League 3rd place | 11th (2017) |
| Al-Zawraa | 2018–19 Iraq FA Cup winners | 5th (2019) |
| Istiklol | 2019 Tajikistan Higher League champions | 2nd (2019) |
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 1 :
| Team | Qualifying method | App (Last) |
| Chennai City | 2018–19 I-League champions | 1st |
| Al-Faisaly | 2018–19 Jordanian Pro League champions | 3rd (2018) |
| Al-Kuwait | 2018–19 Kuwaiti Premier League champions | 7th (2019) |
| Al-Riffa | 2018–19 Bahraini Premier League champions | 2nd (2015) |
East Region :
| Team | Qualifying method | App (Last) |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2019 K League 1 champions | 13th (2019) |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2019 Korean FA Cup winners | 10th (2018) |
| Ulsan Hyundai | 2019 K League 1 runners-up | 8th (2019) |
| Guangzhou Evergrande | 2019 Chinese Super League champions | 9th (2019) |
| Shanghai Shenhua | 2019 Chinese FA Cup winners | 9th (2018) |
| Beijing FC | 2019 Chinese Super League runners-up | 9th (2019) |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 2019 J1 League champions | 4th (2014) |
| Vissel Kobe | 2019 Emperor's Cup winners | 1st |
| Perth Glory | 2018–19 A-League premiers | 1st |
| Sydney FC | 2019 A-League Grand Final winners 2018–19 A-League regular season runners-up | 6th (2019) |
| Chiangrai United | 2019 Thai League 1 champions | 3rd (2019) |
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 2019 Malaysia Super League champions | 6th (2019) |
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in play-off round :
| Team | Qualifying method | App (Last) |
| FC Seoul | 2019 K League 1 3rd place | 8th (2017) |
| Shanghai SIPG | 2019 Chinese Super League 3rd place | 5th (2019) |
| FC Tokyo | 2019 J1 League runners-up | 3rd (2016) |
| Kashima Antlers | 2019 J1 League 3rd place | 10th (2019) |
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 2 :
| Team | Qualifying method | App (Last) |
| Melbourne Victory | 2018–19 A-League regular season 3rd place | 8th (2019) |
| Port | 2019 Thai FA Cup winners | 1st |
| Buriram United | 2019 Thai League 1 runners-up | 9th (2019) |
| Kedah | 2019 Malaysia FA Cup winners | 1st |
| Tai Po | 2018–19 Hong Kong Premier League champions | 1st |
| Ho Chi Minh City | 2019 V.League 1 runners-up | 2nd (2002–03) |
Qualifying play-off participants: Entering in preliminary round 1 :
| Team | Qualifying method | App (Last) |
| Ceres–Negros | 2019 Philippines Football League champions | 3rd (2019) |
| Tampines Rovers | 2019 Singapore Premier League runners-up | 5th (2018) |
| Bali United | 2019 Liga 1 champions | 2nd (2018) |
| Shan United | 2019 Myanmar National League champions | 2nd (2018) |

### Notes

* ^ Title holders (TH): Al-Hilal were the title holders.
* ^ Singapore (SIN): DPMM, the 2019 Singapore Premier League champions, were a team from Brunei and thus ineligible to represent Singapore in AFC club competitions. As a result, Tampines Rovers, the league runners-up, entered the qualifying play-offs.
* ^ Vietnam (VIE): Hà Nội, the 2019 V.League 1 champions, failed to obtain an AFC license as their U15 team did not participate in Vietnam National U-15 Youth League. As a result, Ho Chi Minh City, the league runners-up, entered the qualifying play-offs.

## Schedule

The schedule of the competition was as follows. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only some of the group stage matches on matchdays 1–3 in February and March were played as scheduled, and all matches on matchdays 4–6 were postponed until further notice. The round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals were also initially moved to 10–12 and 24–26 August, 14–16 and 28–30 September, and 20–21 and 27–28 October.
The AFC announced the calendar of the remaining matches on 9 July 2020, with all matches before the final played at centralised venues, and all knockout ties played as a single match. On 10 September 2020, the AFC announced the new dates for the East Region matches and the final.
Notes:
* W: West Region
* E: East Region
* Italics: new dates after restart
| Stage | Round | Draw date | Match dates |
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 1 | No draw | 14 January 2020 |
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 2 | No draw | 21 January 2020 |
| Play-off stage | Play-off round | No draw | 28 January 2020 |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 10 December 2019 | 10–12 February 2020, 18–19 November 2020 (E) |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | 10 December 2019 | 17–19 February 2020, 21–22 November 2020 (E) |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 | 10 December 2019 | 3–4 March 2020 (E), 14–15 September 2020 (W), 24–25 November 2020 (E) |
| Group stage | Matchday 4 | 10 December 2019 | 17–18 September 2020 (W), 27–28 November 2020 (E) |
| Group stage | Matchday 5 | 10 December 2019 | 20–21 September 2020 (W), 30 November – 1 December 2020 (E) |
| Group stage | Matchday 6 | 10 December 2019 | 23–24 September 2020 (W), 3–4 December 2020 (E) |
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 | 10 December 2019 | 26–27 September 2020 (W), 6–7 December 2020 (E) |
| Knockout stage | Quarter-finals | 28 September 2020 (W) 8 December 2020 (E) | 30 September 2020 (W), 10 December 2020 (E) |
| Knockout stage | Semi-finals | 28 September 2020 (W) 8 December 2020 (E) | 3 October 2020 (W), 13 December 2020 (E) |
| Knockout stage | Final | 28 September 2020 (W) 8 December 2020 (E) | 19 December 2020 at Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah |
The original schedule of the competition, as planned before the pandemic, was as follows.
Original schedule for 2020 AFC Champions League :
| Stage | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 1 | No draw | 14 January 2020 | 14 January 2020 |
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 2 | No draw | 21 January 2020 | 21 January 2020 |
| Play-off stage | Play-off round | No draw | 28 January 2020 | 28 January 2020 |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 10 December 2019 | 10–12 February 2020 | 10–12 February 2020 |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | 10 December 2019 | 17–19 February 2020 | 17–19 February 2020 |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 | 10 December 2019 | 2–4 March 2020 | 2–4 March 2020 |
| Group stage | Matchday 4 | 10 December 2019 | 6–8 April 2020 | 6–8 April 2020 |
| Group stage | Matchday 5 | 10 December 2019 | 20–22 April 2020 | 20–22 April 2020 |
| Group stage | Matchday 6 | 10 December 2019 | 4–6 May 2020 | 4–6 May 2020 |
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 | 10 December 2019 | 18–19 May 2020 (W), 26–27 May 2019 (E) | 25–26 May 2020 (W), 16–17 June 2020 (E) |
| Knockout stage | Quarter-finals | TBD | 24–26 August 2020 | 14–16 September 2020 |
| Knockout stage | Semi-finals | TBD | 29–30 September 2020 | 20–21 October 2020 |
| Knockout stage | Final | TBD | 22 November 2020 | 28 November 2020 |

## Qualifying play-offs

In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and a penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 9.2). The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie. The eight winners of the play-off round (four each from both West Region and East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage.

### Preliminary round 1

West Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### Preliminary round 2

West Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### Play-off round

West Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

## Group stage

The draw for the group stage was held on 10 December 2019, 16:30 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four: four groups each in the West Region (Groups A–D) and the East Region (Groups E–H). Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.
In the group stage, each group was played on a double round-robin basis, with matches played home-and-away before the suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but moved to centralised venues after restart. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.
* Tiebreakers
* The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 10.5):
* Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; (this tiebreaker was removed since the matches were played in centralised venues after restart)
* If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
* Goal difference in all group matches;
* Goals scored in all group matches;
* Penalty shoot-out if only two teams playing each other in the last round of the group were tied;
* Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
* Association ranking.

### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AHL | EST | SHO | WAH |
| 1 | Al-Ahli | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | 20 Sep |
| 2 | Esteghlal | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage | 3–0 | — | 1–1 | 17 Sep |
| 3 | Al-Shorta | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | | 2–1 | 1–1 | — | 0–1 |
| 4 | Al-Wahda | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Withdrew | 1–1 | 14 Sep | 23 Sep | — |
* ↑ Al-Wahda were unable to travel to Qatar to play the final four matches of the group stage due to several team members testing positive for COVID-19. They were considered to have withdrawn from the competition, and all previous matches played by them shall be considered "null and void" and would not be considered in determining the final group rankings.

### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PAK | SAH | SHK | HIL |
| 1 | Pakhtakor | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 |
| 2 | Shabab Al-Ahli | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage | 0–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| 3 | Shahr Khodro | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 | | 0–1 | 0–1 | — | 0–0 |
| 4 | Al-Hilal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Withdrew | 2–1 | 23 Sep | 2–0 | — |
* ↑ Al-Hilal failed to name the required 13 players and were unable to play their final match of the group stage against Shabab Al-Ahli due to them having only 11 players left with the remaining team members testing positive for COVID-19. They were considered to have withdrawn from the competition, and all previous matches played by them shall be considered "null and void" and would not be considered in determining the final group rankings.

### Group C

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PRS | TAW | DUH | SHJ |
| 1 | Persepolis | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–0 | 0–1 | 4–0 |
| 2 | Al-Taawoun | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage | 0–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–6 |
| 3 | Al-Duhail | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 9 | | 2–0 | 0–1 | — | 2–1 |
| 4 | Sharjah | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 7 | | 2–2 | 0–1 | 4–2 | — |
* 1 2 Head-to-head points: Al-Taawoun 6, Al-Duhail 0.

### Group D

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | NAS | SAD | SEP | AIN |
| 1 | Al-Nassr | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 |
| 2 | Al-Sadd | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 8 | +6 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage | 1–1 | — | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| 3 | Sepahan | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 7 | | 0–2 | 2–1 | — | 0–0 |
| 4 | Al-Ain | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 13 | −8 | 5 | | 1–2 | 3–3 | 0–4 | — |

### Group E

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BEI | MVC | SEO | CHI |
| 1 | Beijing Guoan | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 16 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| 2 | Melbourne Victory | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage | 0–2 | — | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| 3 | FC Seoul | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 6 | | 1–2 | 1–0 | — | 5–0 |
| 4 | Chiangrai United | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 5 | | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | — |

### Group F

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ULS | TOK | SSH | PRG |
| 1 | Ulsan Hyundai | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 16 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| 2 | FC Tokyo | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | 1–2 | — | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| 3 | Shanghai Shenhua | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 7 | | 1–4 | 1–2 | — | 3–3 |
| 4 | Perth Glory | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 1 | | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | — |

### Group G

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | VIS | SUW | GZE | JDT |
| 1 | Vissel Kobe | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 0–2 | 0–2 | 5–1 |
| 2 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage | 0–1 | — | 0–0 | 25 Nov |
| 3 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | | 1–3 | 1–1 | — | 4 Dec |
| 4 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Withdrew | 1 Dec | 2–1 | 19 Nov | — |
* ↑ Johor Darul Ta'zim were unable to travel to Qatar to play the final four matches of the group stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions after they were denied permission to travel by the Malaysian government. They were considered to have withdrawn from the competition, and all previous matches played by them shall be considered "null and void" and would not be considered in determining the final group rankings.

### Group H

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | YOK | SSI | JEO | SYD |
| 1 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 13 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–2 | 4–1 | 4–0 |
| 2 | Shanghai SIPG | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage | 0–1 | — | 0–2 | 0–4 |
| 3 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 7 | | 1–2 | 1–2 | — | 1–0 |
| 4 | Sydney FC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 5 | | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | — |

## Knockout stage

In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split into the two regions until the final. Each tie was played as a single-leg match at centralised venues, instead of the usual home-and-away two-legged basis as planned before the COVID-19 pandemic. Extra time and a penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winners if necessary.

### Bracket

The bracket was decided after the draw for the quarter-finals. The draw for the West Region quarter-finals was held on 28 September 2020, 11:00 AST (UTC+3), and the draw for the East Region quarter-finals was held on 8 December 2020, 11:30 AST (UTC+3), both in Doha, Qatar.
| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| 27 September – Al Rayyan (ECS) | 27 September – Al Rayyan (ECS) | | | | | | |
| Al-Nassr | 1 | | | | | | |
| Al-Nassr | 1 | 30 September – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | 30 September – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | | | | | |
| Al-Taawoun | 0 | 30 September – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | 30 September – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | | | | |
| Al-Taawoun | 0 | Al-Nassr | 2 | | | | |
| 26 September – Al Wakrah | 26 September – Al Wakrah | | Al-Nassr | 2 | | | | |
| 26 September – Al Wakrah | 26 September – Al Wakrah | Al-Ahli | 0 | | | | |
| Al-Ahli (p) | 1 (4) | Al-Ahli | 0 | | | | |
| Al-Ahli (p) | 1 (4) | | | | 3 October – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | 3 October – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | | |
| Shabab Al-Ahli | 1 (3) | | | | 3 October – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | 3 October – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | |
| Shabab Al-Ahli | 1 (3) | | | | Al-Nassr | 1 (3) | |
| 27 September – Al Rayyan (ECS) | 27 September – Al Rayyan (ECS) | | | | | Al-Nassr | 1 (3) | |
| 27 September – Al Rayyan (ECS) | 27 September – Al Rayyan (ECS) | | | | Persepolis (p) | 1 (5) | |
| Persepolis | 1 | | | | Persepolis (p) | 1 (5) | |
| Persepolis | 1 | 30 September – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | 30 September – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | | | | | |
| Al-Sadd | 0 | 30 September – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | 30 September – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | | | | |
| Al-Sadd | 0 | Persepolis | 2 | | | | |
| 26 September – Al Wakrah | 26 September – Al Wakrah | | Persepolis | 2 | | | | |
| 26 September – Al Wakrah | 26 September – Al Wakrah | Pakhtakor | 0 | | | | |
| Pakhtakor | 2 | Pakhtakor | 0 | | | | |
| Pakhtakor | 2 | | | | | | | 19 December – Al Wakrah | 19 December – Al Wakrah |
| Esteghlal | 1 | | | | | | | 19 December – Al Wakrah | 19 December – Al Wakrah |
| Esteghlal | 1 | | | | | | | Persepolis | 1 |
| 6 December – Al Rayyan (ECS) | 6 December – Al Rayyan (ECS) | | | | | | | | Persepolis | 1 |
| 6 December – Al Rayyan (ECS) | 6 December – Al Rayyan (ECS) | | | | | | | Ulsan Hyundai | 2 |
| Ulsan Hyundai | 3 | | | | | | | Ulsan Hyundai | 2 |
| Ulsan Hyundai | 3 | 10 December – Al Wakrah | 10 December – Al Wakrah | | | | | | |
| Melbourne Victory | 0 | 10 December – Al Wakrah | 10 December – Al Wakrah | | | | | | |
| Melbourne Victory | 0 | Ulsan Hyundai | 2 | | | | | | |
| 6 December – Al Rayyan (ECS) | 6 December – Al Rayyan (ECS) | | Ulsan Hyundai | 2 | | | | | | |
| 6 December – Al Rayyan (ECS) | 6 December – Al Rayyan (ECS) | Beijing FC | 0 | | | | | | |
| Beijing FC | 1 | Beijing FC | 0 | | | | | | |
| Beijing FC | 1 | | | | 13 December – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | 13 December – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | | | | |
| FC Tokyo | 0 | | | | 13 December – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | 13 December – Al Rayyan (JBHS) | | | |
| FC Tokyo | 0 | | | | Ulsan Hyundai (a.e.t.) | 2 | | | |
| 7 December – Al Rayyan (KIS) | 7 December – Al Rayyan (KIS) | | | | | Ulsan Hyundai (a.e.t.) | 2 | | | |
| 7 December – Al Rayyan (KIS) | 7 December – Al Rayyan (KIS) | | | | Vissel Kobe | 1 | |
| Vissel Kobe | 2 | | | | Vissel Kobe | 1 | |
| Vissel Kobe | 2 | 10 December – Al Wakrah | 10 December – Al Wakrah | | | | | |
| Shanghai SIPG | 0 | 10 December – Al Wakrah | 10 December – Al Wakrah | | | | |
| Shanghai SIPG | 0 | Vissel Kobe (p) | 1 (7) | | | | |
| 7 December – Al Rayyan (KIS) | 7 December – Al Rayyan (KIS) | | Vissel Kobe (p) | 1 (7) | | | | |
| 7 December – Al Rayyan (KIS) | 7 December – Al Rayyan (KIS) | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 1 (6) | | | | |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 2 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 1 (6) | | | | |
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 3 | | | | | | |

### Round of 16

In the round of 16, the winners of one group played against the runners-up of another group from the same region and the matchups were determined by the group stage draw.
West Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### Quarter-finals

In the quarter-finals, the four teams from the West Region played in two ties, and the four teams from the East Region played in two ties, with the matchups decided by draw, without any seeding or country protection. The draw for the West Region quarter-finals was held on 28 September 2020, and the draw for the East Region quarter-finals was held on 8 December 2020.
West Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### Semi-finals

In the semi-finals, the two quarter-final winners from the West Region played against each other, and the two quarter-final winners from the East Region played against each other.
West Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
East Region :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |

### Final

In the final, the two semi-final winners played against each other, at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar.

## Awards
### Main awards

| Award | Player | Team |
| Most Valuable Player | Yoon Bit-garam | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Top Scorer | Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr |
| Fair Play Award | Ulsan Hyundai | Ulsan Hyundai |
Note: Abderrazak Hamdallah finished ahead of Júnior Negrão to win the Top Scorer award despite scoring the same number of goals, and also having the same number of assists (first tiebreaker), since he played fewer minutes throughout the competition (second tiebreaker).

### All Star Squad

Source:
| Position | Player | Team |
| Goalkeeper | Jo Su-huk | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Goalkeeper | Hamed Lak | Persepolis |
| Defenders | Dave Bulthuis | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Defenders | Saeid Aghaei | Persepolis |
| Defenders | Hossein Kanaanizadegan | Persepolis |
| Defenders | Sultan Al-Ghanam | Al-Nassr |
| Defenders | Anzur Ismailov | Pakhtakor Tashkent |
| Midfielders | Ahmad Nourollahi | Persepolis |
| Midfielders | Siamak Nemati | Persepolis |
| Midfielders | Bashar Resan | Persepolis |
| Midfielders | Renato Augusto | Beijing Guoan |
| Midfielders | Yoon Bit-garam | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Midfielders | Kim In-sung | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Midfielders | Sin Jin-ho | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Midfielders | Ko Seung-beom | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
| Midfielders | Hotaru Yamaguchi | Vissel Kobe |
| Forwards | Mehdi Abdi | Persepolis |
| Forwards | Omar Al Somah | Al-Ahli |
| Forwards | Douglas | Vissel Kobe |
| Forwards | Gotoku Sakai | Vissel Kobe |
| Forwards | Abderazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr |
| Forwards | Bjørn Maars Johnsen | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Forwards | Júnior Negrão | Ulsan Hyundai |

### Opta Best XI

Source:
| Position | Player | Team |
| Goalkeeper | Brad Jones | Al-Nassr |
| Defenders | Wang Gang | Beijing Guoan |
| Defenders | Yu Yang | Beijing Guoan |
| Defenders | Min Sang-gi | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
| Defenders | Theerathon Bunmathan | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Midfielders | Yoon Bit-garam | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Midfielders | Teruhito Nakagawa | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Midfielders | Jonathan Viera | Beijing Guoan |
| Forwards | Ado Onaiwu | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Forwards | Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr |
| Forwards | Alan | Beijing Guoan |

### Fans' awards

The AFC took polls of fans in its website after the tournament.
Single awards :
| Award | Player | Team |
| Fans' Best Player | Hamed Lak | Persepolis |
| Best Goal | Mehdi Abdi | Persepolis |
Fans' Best XI :
| Position | Player | Team |
| Goalkeeper | Hamed Lak | Persepolis |
| Defenders | Sultan Al-Ghanam | Al-Nassr |
| Defenders | Shojae Khalilzadeh | Persepolis |
| Defenders | Hossein Kanaanizadegan | Persepolis |
| Defenders | Saeid Aghaei | Persepolis |
| Midfielders | Teruhito Nakagawa | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Midfielders | Bashar Resan | Persepolis |
| Midfielders | Takuya Kida | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Forwards | Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr |
| Forwards | Júnior Negrão | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Forwards | Mehdi Abdi | Persepolis |

## Statistics
### Statistical leaders

| Category | Player | Team | Figure |
| Goals | Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr | 7 |
| Goals | Júnior Negrão | Ulsan Hyundai | 7 |
| Chances created | Yoon Bit-garam | Ulsan Hyundai | 22 |
| Clearances | Maicon Pereira Roque | Al-Nassr | 34 |
| Duels won | Dragan Ćeran | Pakhtakor Tashkent | 54 |
| Shooting accuracy | Baghdad Bounedjah | Al-Sadd | 61.1% |
| Passing accuracy | Kamal Kamyabinia | Persepolis | 91.6% |
| Saves | Jo Su-huk | Ulsan Hyundai | 26 |

### Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Team | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | R16 | QF | SF | F | Total |
| 1 | Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | | | 1 | | 1 | | 7 |
| 1 | Júnior Negrão | Ulsan Hyundai | | | 1 | 1 | | | | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 | Trent Buhagiar | Sydney FC | | 1 | 1 | | 2 | 1 | | | | | 5 |
| 3 | Bjørn Maars Johnsen | Ulsan Hyundai | | | | | | 2 | 2 | | 1 | | 5 |
| 5 | Alan | Beijing FC | | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | 1 | | | | 4 |
| 5 | Issa Alekasir | Persepolis | | | | | | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | 4 |
| 5 | Baghdad Bounedjah | Al-Sadd | | | 1 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | 4 |
| 5 | Ado Onaiwu | Yokohama F. Marinos | | 2 | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | 4 |
| 5 | Yoon Bit-garam | Ulsan Hyundai | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | | | 4 |
| 10 | Mehdi Abdi | Persepolis | | | | | | 1 | | | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Akram Afif | Al-Sadd | | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Almoez Ali | Al-Duhail | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Hassan Al-Haydos | Al-Sadd | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Cho Gue-sung | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1 | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Kyogo Furuhashi | Vissel Kobe | | 1 | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | 3 |
| 10 | Giovanni Moreno | Shanghai Shenhua | | | | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Teruhito Nakagawa | Yokohama F. Marinos | | 2 | | | 1 | | | | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Park Chu-young | FC Seoul | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Welliton | Sharjah | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Yu Hanchao | Shanghai Shenhua | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Yun Ju-tae | FC Seoul | | | 2 | | 1 | | | | | | | | 3 |
Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-offs and matches voided by AFC are not counted when determining top scorer (Regulations Article 64.4).

## Toyota Player of the Week awards

| Stage | Matchday | Player of the Week | Team |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | Keijiro Ogawa | Vissel Kobe |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | Teruhito Nakagawa | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | Li Shenglong | Shanghai SIPG |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 – East | Terry Antonis | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 – East | Song Bum-keun | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 – West | Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr |
| Group stage | Matchday 4 – East | Bill | Chiangrai United |
| Group stage | Matchday 4 – West | Khaled Ba Wazir | Sharjah |
| Group stage | Matchday 5 – East | Theerathon Bunmathan | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Group stage | Matchday 5 – West | Caio | Sharjah |
| Group stage | Matchday 6 – East | Daiki Niwa | FC Tokyo |
| Group stage | Matchday 6 – West | Mehdi Ghayedi | Esteghlal |
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 – East | Kim Tae-hwan | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 – West | Issa Alekasir | Persepolis |
| Knockout stage | Quarter-finals – East | Park Sang-hyeok | Suwon Samsung Bluewings |
| Knockout stage | Quarter-finals – West | Sultan Al-Ghanam | Al-Nassr |
| Knockout stage | Semi-finals – East | Daiya Maekawa | Vissel Kobe |
| Knockout stage | Semi-finals – West | Shoja' Khalilzadeh | Persepolis |