Continent Kings: Can RSL seal AFC Champions League Elite three-peat?
The AFC Champions League Elite returns on Monday, with a record five Roshn Saudi League teams to take part across the next two days after the tournament expanded from 24 to 32 teams.
The extra allocations give RSL clubs the chance to continue their recent domination of Asia’s premier continental club competition, with representatives of the Saudi Arabian top flight making six of the past seven finals. Indeed, Al Ahli enter this year aiming for an unprecedented hat-trick of successive titles.
To mark the tournament kick-off, we look at all five sides and their prospects heading into the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite.
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Al Nassr
This will be a major focus for Ange Postecoglou’s team this season after falling agonisingly short in the second-tier AFC Champions League Two last season, losing in the final on home soil. Go back another year, and there was defeat to Kawasaki Frontale in the semi-final of the ACL Elite.
With the recent success of Al Ahli, Al Nassr remain the only one of Saudi football’s original “Big Four” without a continental trophy. And in what could be Cristiano Ronaldo’s final campaign, the motivation will be as strong as ever to fill that hole in their trophy cabinet.
For Postecoglou, there is unfinished business too, having failed to make an impact in this competition during his otherwise successful tenures with Brisbane Road and Yokohama F.Marinos.
The RSL champions kick off their 2026-27 campaign at UAE club Al Ain, who defeated Al Nassr en route to the Asian Champions League crown in 2024.
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Al Hilal
Asia has been Al Hilal’s playground, with a record four continental titles in their history - more than any other club in Asia.
Of the six finals to feature an RSL side across the past nine years, four of those have been the Riyadh giants. Not only have Al Hilal collected the most trophies, but they’ve also made the most finals, with five further runners-up appearances to go along with their four successes.
Having had to sit back and watch RSL rivals Al Ahli take the continental mantle in recent years, winning back-to-back titles - something, interestingly, Al Hilal has never managed - the current RSL leaders have the squad this year to be a serious contender and get back to where they think they belong as kings of the continent.
A new-look frontline of Crysencio Summerville, Ollie Watkins and Gabriel Martinelli should send shockwaves through the competition. The trio should be in action on Matchday 1, when they host Qatar’s Al Gharafa on Tuesday.
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Al Ahli
It might have been a less than auspicious start to the RSL for Al Ahli, but their recent pedigree in this competition means they cannot be discounted from being genuine contenders.
While some key personnel from those back-to-back wins have departed, in the form of Riyad Mahrez and Franck Kessie, just as many remain, with Roger Ibanez, Merih Demiral, Ivan Toney and Galeno all key figures in those successive successes. For sure, the champions won’t give up their place at the apex without a fight.
And with Toney scoring goals for fun, as he is in the RSL - 10 goals in his opening seven matches – and new signings Eduard Spertsyan and Francisco Trincao providing the creativity, Al Ahli will always be a serious contender.
Especially with the motivation of becoming the first team to win the crown three times on the bounce; a feat that would place them in immortality.
Al Ahli open the third defence of their title on Monday at home to Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor.
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Al Qadsiah
Back on the continental stage for the first time in more than 30 years, this marks the Al Khobar club’s debut in this competition. Their only previous experience on the continent came in the early 1990s, when they played in, and won, the old Asian Cup Winners’ Cup.
Of course, this is both an entirely different Al Qadsiah and different competition to what they faced all those years ago.
With Brendan Rodgers at the helm, and with the likes of 2026 Ballon d'Or nominees Julian Quinones, reigning SPL Saudi Player of the Year Musab Al Juwayr, Mateo Retegui and new recruit Tijjani Reijnders all fit and firing, Al Qadsiah loom as a bit of a joker in the pack simply because it’s their AFC Champions League Elite bow.
However, as they’ve shown already in this season’s RSL, don’t be surprised if the domestic title challengers are ready to establish their place at the pinnacle of the continent, too.
First up for Al Qadsiah in this historic campaign are UAE outfit Al Wasl, in the Eastern Province on Monday.
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Al Ittihad
Before Al Ahli, their great Jeddah rivals were the only club to have won back-to-back Champions League titles, which they did in the early 2000s.
Since then, though, Al Ittihad have struggled to make an impact, with three quarter-finals appearances since 2019 the best they have been able to manage - one of which came last season when they fell to Japan’s Machida Zelvia.
Could Jens Wissing be their secret weapon, however? The new Al Ittihad manager guided Gamba Osaka to AFC Champions League Two success in May, defeating Al Nassr in Riyadh, and has Al Ittihad flying at the moment.
In fact, they’re the only remaining undefeated side after seven rounds of the 2026-27 RSL, with five wins and one of the best defensive records in the division (six goals conceded), to sit second.
That run has been headlined by new Nigeria call-up George Ilenikhena, while the transfer deadline day signing of the hugely experienced Georginio Wijnaldum bodes well, too.
With a trip to Qatar’s Al Shamal their opening assignment, can Al Ittihad translate domestic form into overdue success on the continent?
