With the Lion City Mariners losing 1-2 to Shaga in the AFC Champions League Level 2 final， they missed out on the championship and thus missed out on the playoffs of the new season's AFC Champions League Elite. Therefore， Seoul will directly advance to the main round of the AFC Champions League Elite， while Chengdu Rongcheng will face Bangkok United or Mong Tong United in the playoff of the AFC Champions League Elite. If the Lion City Mariners win the AFC Champions League Level 2 championship， they will face Seoul in the AFC Champions League Elite playoff. However， since the former did not win the championship， Seoul will directly qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite tournament. So far， 11 participating teams have been confirmed for the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite (East Asia region)， including Kobe Victory Ship， Hiroshima Sanfrecce， Machida Zevia， 风云体育网 Ulsan HD，葡超新闻网 Gangwon FC， 篮球新闻 Seoul FC， Shanghai SIPG，超级运动天地 Shanghai Shenhua， Buri Nanlian， Melbourne City， and Johor Bahru. The final spot will be determined between Chengdu Rongcheng and the Thai Super League team， and the specific opponent will be determined based on the Thai Cup. The Thailand Cup final will be held on May 24th， with Buriram United (ranked first in the Thai Super League) facing Mong Tong United (ranked sixth in the Thai Super League). If Mong Tong United wins the championship， they will face Chengdu Rongcheng in the AFC Champions League Elite playoff; If Buriram United wins the championship， it will be Bangkok United (second in the Thai Super League) facing Chengdu Rongcheng in the AFC Champions League Elite playoff. The AFC Champions League Elite playoff will be held on August 12th this year， and Chengdu's opponents will be determined on May 24th， with either Bangkok United or Mong Tong United to choose from. In addition， the failure of the Lion City Mariners to win the second tier of the AFC Champions League has also caused Beijing Guoan to shift from the second tier to the first tier in the second tier， avoiding strong Japanese and Korean teams in the grouping. The first tier teams include the losers of the AFC Champions League Elite playoff， Pohang Ironman， Osaka Steel， and Beijing Guoan.