| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 8–15 March 2022 Competition proper: 7 April 2022 – 6 May 2023 |
| Teams | Group stage: 39 Total (maximum): 49 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Urawa Red Diamonds (3rd title) |
| Runners-up |  Al-Hilal |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 130 |
| Goals scored | 384 (2.95 per match) |
| Attendance | 511,749 (3,937 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Edmilson Junior(8 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Hiroki Sakai[1] |
| Fair play award | Urawa Red Diamonds |
← 2021 2023–24 →
(Note: All statistics do not include qualifying results) | |
The 2022 AFC Champions League was the 41st edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 20th under the current AFC Champions League title.
This edition was the last in an all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule despite actually being held from 2022 to 2023; from the next season onwards, the competition switched to an autumn-to-spring schedule.[2]
This edition saw increase in numbers of preliminary players registration with 35 players, up from 30 in previous editions. This paved the way for more foreign players to be included in squad, although the AFC "3+1" foreign players rule was in effect during the match.[3][4]
Due to the emerging complications caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the associated risks, as well as the unique circumstances surrounding the football schedule before and after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it was confirmed that the final, originally scheduled for October 2022, would not be completed until May 2023. As the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup would already be held by that time, the AFC confirmed on 23 December 2022 that Al-Hilal would be their representative at the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup as the reigning champions from the 2021 AFC Champions League.
Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia were the defending champions. Urawa Red Diamonds defeated Al-Hilal 2–1 on aggregate in the final to win their third title.[5] As Asian champions, they automatically qualified for the 2023–24 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs since they did not qualify through their domestic performance. In addition, they earned the right to play in both the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
2021 AFC Cup winners Al-Muharraq, having not obtained an AFC license, were not eligible to participate in this edition.[6]
- ^ "Urawa's Hiroki Sakai crowned Most Valuable Player". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "AFC Executive Committee unveils dynamic enhancements to the AFC Club Competitions". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ "More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 23 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ "AFC's club competitions set for strategic reforms". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ Orlowitz, Dan (6 May 2023). "Urawa beats Al Hilal to capture third Asian Champions League title". The Japan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "المحرق خارج دوري أبطال آسيا رسميًا - صحيفة الأيام البحرينية". alayam.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-23. Retrieved 2022-10-23.