View source for 2022 AFC Cup

{{Short description|19th secondary club football tournament organized by the AFC}} {{Infobox international football competition
| tourney_name   = AFC Cup
| year           = 2022
| dates          = ''Qualifying:''<br />{{nowrap|5 – 19 April}}<br />''Competition proper:''<br />{{nowrap|18 May – 22 October}}
| num_teams      = ''Competition proper:'' 38 (originally) <br />''Total:'' 44
| associations   = 27
| champion_other = {{fbaicon|OMA}} [[Al-Seeb Club|Al-Seeb]]
| count          = 1
| second_other   = {{fbaicon|MAS}} [[Kuala Lumpur City F.C.|Kuala Lumpur City]]
| matches        = 62
| goals          = 204
| attendance     = {{#expr: <!--Group A-->+ 2700 + 77 + 2843 + 135 + 1225 + 135 <!--Group B-->+ 4300 + 110 + 3700 + 123 + 2469 + 65 <!--Group C-->+ 118 + 485 + 111 + 550 + 78 + 604 <!--Group D-->+ 31790 + 259 + 34595 + 395 + 497 + 33729 <!--Group E-->+ 840 + 5720 + 801 + 6300 + 850 + 5750 <!--Group F-->+ 251 + 3500 + 2689 <!--Group G-->+ 821 + 9832 + 5669 + 100 + 5069 + 100 <!--Group H-->+ 1259 + 302 + 1354 <!--Group I-->+ 1135 + 368 + 1206 + 388 + 1555 + 267 <!--Group J-->+ 159 + 122 + 130 <!--Zonal semi-finals-->+ 5200 + 2554 + 368 + 3016 <!--Zonal finals-->+ 11680 + 5600 + 2905 <!--Inter-zone play-off semi-finals-->+ 7150 + 18594 <!--Inter-zone play-off finals-->+ 6157 <!--Final-->+ 27722}}
| top_scorer     = {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Paulo Josué]]<br />{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Pedro Paulo (footballer, born 1994)|Pedro Paulo]]<br />{{flagicon|UZB}} [[Jasur Hasanov (footballer, born 1983)|Jasur Hasanov]] {{nowrap|(5 goals each)}}
| player         = {{flagicon|OMA}} [[Eid Al-Farsi]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Al Seeb’s Eid Al Farsi scoops Most Valuable Player Award |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cup/news/al_seeb%E2%80%99s_eid_al_farsi_scoops_most_valuable_player_award.html |publisher=AFC |access-date=23 October 2022 |date=22 October 2022}}</ref>
| prevseason     = [[2021 AFC Cup|2021]]
| nextseason     = [[2023–24 AFC Cup|2023–24]]
| extra information = {{small|(Note: All statistics do not include qualifying play-offs)}}
}}
The '''2022 AFC Cup''' was the 19th edition of the [[AFC Cup]], [[Asia]]'s secondary club [[association football|football]] tournament organized by the [[Asian Football Confederation]] (AFC).

This season was the last in an all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule; from 2023 the competition was switched to an autumn-to-spring schedule.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AFC Executive Committee unveils dynamic enhancements to the AFC Club Competitions |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/about_afc/committees/executive_committee/news/afc_executive_committee_unveils_dynamic_enhancements_to_the_afc_club_competitions.html |access-date=25 February 2022|date=25 February 2022|website=the-AFC.com|publisher=Asian Football Confederation |language=en}}</ref>

Bahraini club [[Al-Muharraq SC|Al-Muharraq]] were the title holders, having won their second AFC Cup title in [[2021 AFC Cup|2021]]. As they failed to obtain the AFC license, they did not defend their title. [[Al-Seeb Club|Al-Seeb]] of Oman won its first continental title. They automatically qualified for the [[2023–24 AFC Champions League]] and entered the qualifying play-offs, since Omani teams were unable to qualify through domestic performance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-champions-league/latest/news/more-member-associations-to-benefit-from-inclusive-afc-champions-league|title=More Member Associations to benefit from inclusive AFC Champions League|website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation|date=23 November 2019 |access-date=14 January 2020}}</ref>

==Association team allocation==
The 47 [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] member associations were ranked based on their clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team's [[FIFA World Rankings]] no longer considered).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/afc/documents/PDFFiles/afc-club-competitions-ranking-mechanics|title=AFC Club Competitions Ranking Mechanics|website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation}}</ref> The slots were allocated according to the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/documents/entry-manual-for-afc-club-competitions-2021-edition|title=Entry Manual for AFC Club Competitions (2021 Edition)|website=the-afc.com|publisher=Asian Football Confederation}}</ref>
*The associations were split into five zones (Article 5.1):
**'''West Asia Zone''' consisted of the 12 associations from the [[West Asian Football Federation]] (WAFF).
**'''South Asia Zone''' consisted of the 7 associations from the [[South Asian Football Federation]] (SAFF).
**'''Central Asia Zone''' consisted of the 6 associations from [[Central Asian Football Association]] (CAFA).
**'''ASEAN Zone''' consisted of the 12 associations from the [[ASEAN Football Federation]] (AFF).
**'''East Asia Zone''' consisted of the 10 associations from the [[East Asian Football Federation]] (EAFF).
**The AFC may reallocate one or more associations to another zone if necessary for sporting reasons.
*Excluding the top five associations in each region for AFC Champions League slot allocation, all other associations were eligible to enter the AFC Cup.
*The teams from associations ranked 6th, 11th and 12th which were eliminated in the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs, entered the AFC Cup group stage (Article 3.2). The following rules were applied:
**The associations ranked 6th in both the West Region and the East Region, while allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage without taking away any direct slot from other associations, were not ranked in each zone for AFC Cup slot allocation (Article 5.3).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pfl.uz/uz/news/detail/12218|title=2021-2022 йилги ОЧЛ ва ОФК кубоги мусобақалари учун йўлланмалар тақсимоти эълон қилинди|publisher=Uzbekistan Professional Football League|date=29 July 2020|language=ru|access-date=24 October 2020|archive-date=27 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027181308/https://www.pfl.uz/uz/news/detail/12218|url-status=dead}}</ref>
**If they advanced to the AFC Champions League group stage, the AFC Cup group stage slot would be filled by the standby team from their association if such team would be available (Article 5.12).
**The rules above dud not apply to the AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders, which were allocated AFC Champions League play-off slots if they did not qualify for the tournament through domestic performance.
*In the West Asia Zone and the ASEAN Zone, there are three groups in the group stage, including 9 direct slots, with the 3 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.2). The slots in each zone are distributed as follows:
**The associations ranked 1st to 3rd were each allocated two direct slots.
**The associations ranked 4th to 6th were each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot.
**The associations ranked 7th or below were each allocated one play-off slot.
**If any zone had an association ranked 6th for AFC Champions League slot allocation, they were allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage. There were 10 direct slots, with the 2 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs.
*In the South Asia Zone, the Central Asia Zone, and the East Asia Zone, there was a single group in the group stage, including 3 direct slots, with the 1 remaining slot filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.2). The slots in each zone were distributed as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fft.tj/ofitsialno-chempion-tadzhikistana-2020-vystupit-v-gruppovom-etape-ligi-chempionov-afk-2021/|title=ОФИЦИАЛЬНО: ЧЕМПИОН ТАДЖИКИСТАНА-2020 ВЫСТУПИТ В ГРУППОВОМ ЭТАПЕ ЛИГИ ЧЕМПИОНОВ АФК-2021!|publisher=Tajikistan Football Federation|language=ru|date=9 December 2019}}</ref>
**The associations ranked 1st to 3rd were each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot.
**The associations ranked 4th or below were each allocated one play-off slot.
**If any zone has an association ranked 6th for AFC Champions League slot allocation, they were allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage. There were 4 direct slots, and to ensure equal opportunity in each zone, another group was added to this zone in the group stage, with the 4 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.4.1).
**If any zone had at least 7 play-off slots, to ensure equal opportunity in each zone, another group was added to this zone in the group stage, with the 5 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 5.4.2).
*If any association with direct slots did not fulfill any one of the AFC Cup criteria, they had all their direct slots converted into play-off slots. The direct slots would be redistributed to the highest eligible association by the following criteria (Articles 5.7 and 5.8):
**For each association, the maximum number of total slots would be two (Articles 3.4 and 3.5).
**If any association was allocated one additional direct slot, one play-off slot was annulled and not redistributed.
*If any association with only play-off slot(s), including those mentioned above, did not fulfill the minimum AFC Cup criteria, the play-off slot(s) would be annulled and not redistributed (Articles 5.10 and 5.11).
*For each association, the maximum number of total slots was one-third of the total number of eligible teams (excluding foreign teams) in the top division (Article 5.6). Based on this rule, any direct slots given up would be redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.10).
*All participating teams had to be granted an AFC Champions League or AFC Cup license, and (apart from cup winners) finish in the top half of their top division (Articles 7.1 and 9.5). If any association did not have enough teams which satisfied these criteria, any direct slots given up would be redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.9).
*If any team granted a license refused to participate, their slot, either direct or play-off, is annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.11).

===Association ranking===
For the 2022 AFC Cup, the associations were allocated slots according to their [[AFC Club Competitions Ranking]] which was published on 29 November 2019,<ref name="ranking">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/afc-ranking/|title=AFC Club Competitions Ranking|website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://footyrankings.com/afc-ranking/crank2019/|title=AFC Country Ranking 2019|publisher=FootyRankings|date=24 November 2019|access-date=28 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609161839/https://footyrankings.com/afc-ranking/crank2019/|archive-date=9 June 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> which takes into account their performance in the [[AFC Champions League]] and the AFC Cup during the period between 2016 and 2019.

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
!bgcolor=#f7f8ff colspan=2|Participation for 2022 AFC Cup
|-
|bgcolor=#90ee77 width=20| ||Participating
|-
|bgcolor=#ffcccc width=20| ||Not participating
|-
|align=center width=20| <s>(N)</s> || Number of teams/associations originally entered, before withdrawal of teams from the competition after the draw
|}

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
|+West Asia Zone (3 groups)
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|[[AFC Club Competitions Ranking|Rank]]
!rowspan=3 width=200|Member<br />Association
!rowspan=3|Points<ref name="ranking"/>
!colspan=4|Slots
|-
!rowspan=2|Group<br />stage
!colspan=4|Play-off
|-
!{{small|Zone}}
!{{small|AFC}}
!{{small|{{nowrap|Play-off}}<br />round}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />{{nowrap|round 2}}}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />{{nowrap|round 1}}}}
|-bgcolor=ffcccc
| 1||12||align=left|{{fba|JOR}}{{Cref2|JOR}}
|33.852||0||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 2||21||align=left|{{fba|LBN}}
|24.746||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 3||22||align=left|{{fba|SYR}}
|22.505||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 4||24||align=left|{{fba|BHR}}
|17.749||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 5||29||align=left|{{fba|OMA}}
| 8.531||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 6||30||align=left|{{fba|PLE}}
| 7.297||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 7||34||align=left|{{fba|KUW}}{{Cref2|KUW}}
| 4.711||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=ffcccc
| 8||42||align=left|{{fba|YEM}}{{Cref2|AFC1}}
| 0.000||0||0||0||0
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Total
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Participating associations: 6
!rowspan=2|12!!0!!0!!0
|-
!colspan=3|0
|-
!colspan=4|12
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
|+Central Asia Zone (2 groups)
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|[[AFC Club Competitions Ranking|Rank]]
!rowspan=3 width=200|Member<br />Association
!rowspan=3|Points<ref name="ranking"/>
!colspan=5|Slots
|-
!rowspan=2|Group<br />stage
!colspan=4|Play-off
|-
!{{small|Zone}}
!{{small|AFC}}
!{{small|{{nowrap|Play-off}}<br />round}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />{{nowrap|round 2}}}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />{{nowrap|round 1}}}}
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 1||10||align=left|{{fba|UZB}}{{Cref2|UZB}}
|45.562||1||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 2||17||align=left|{{fba|TJK}}
|28.361||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 3||20||align=left|{{fba|TKM}}
|26.532||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 4||33||align=left|{{fba|KGZ}}
| 5.466||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=ffcccc
| 5||41||align=left|{{fba|AFG|2013}}{{Cref2|AFC1}}
| 0.206||0||0||0||0
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Total
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Participating associations: 4
!rowspan=2|7!!0!!0!!0
|-
!colspan=3|0
|-
!colspan=4|7
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
|+South Asia Zone (1 group)
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|[[AFC Club Competitions Ranking|Rank]]
!rowspan=3 width=200|Member<br />Association
!rowspan=3|Points<ref name="ranking"/>
!colspan=5|Slots
|-
!rowspan=2|Group<br />stage
!colspan=4|Play-off
|-
!{{small|Zone}}
!{{small|AFC}}
!{{small|{{nowrap|Play-off}}<br />round}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />round 2}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />round 1}}
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 1||15||align=left|{{fba|IND}}
|23.888||1||0||1||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 2||25||align=left|{{fba|BAN}}{{Cref2|BAN}}
|16.690||1||1 <s>(0)</s>||0 <s>(1)</s>||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 3||26||align=left|{{fba|MDV}}
|14.798||1||0||0||1
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 4||36||align=left|{{fba|NEP}}
| 1.148||0||0||0||1
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 5||37||align=left|{{fba|SRI}}
| 0.774||0||0||0||1
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 6||38||align=left|{{fba|BHU}}
| 0.688||0||0||0||1
|-bgcolor=#ffcccc
| 7||42||align=left|{{fba|PAK}}{{Cref2|AFC1}}
| 0.000||0||0||0||0
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Total
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Participating associations: 6
!rowspan=2|3!!1!!1!!4
|-
!colspan=3|6
|-
!colspan=4|9
|}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
|+ASEAN Zone (3 groups)
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|[[AFC Club Competitions Ranking|Rank]]
!rowspan=3 width=200|Member<br />Association
!rowspan=3|Points<ref name="ranking"/>
!colspan=5|Slots
|-
!rowspan=2|Group<br />stage
!colspan=4|Play-off
|-
!{{small|Zone}}
!{{small|AFC}}
!{{small|{{nowrap|Play-off}}<br />round}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />{{nowrap|round 2}}}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />{{nowrap|round 1}}}}
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 1||13||align=left|{{fba|PHI}}{{Cref2|PHI}}
|32.130||1||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 2||16||align=left|{{fba|VIE}}{{Cref2|VIE}}
|28.571||1||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 3||18||align=left|{{fba|MAS}}
|26.960||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 4||19||align=left|{{fba|SIN}}
|26.607||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#ffcccc
| 5||27||align=left|{{fba|MYA}}{{Cref2|MYA}}
|12.756||0 <s>(2)</s>||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 6||28||align=left|{{fba|IDN}}
|12.550||2||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 7||31||align=left|{{fba|CAM}}
| 6.770||2 <s>(1)</s>||0 <s>(1)</s>||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 8||35||align=left|{{fba|LAO}}
| 2.241||1 <s>(0)</s>||0 <s>(1)</s>||0||0
|-bgcolor=ffcccc
| 9||42||align=left|{{fba|BRU}}{{Cref2|AFC2}}
| 0.000||0||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=ffcccc
|10||42||align=left|{{fba|TLS}}{{Cref2|AFC2}}
| 0.000||0||0||0||0
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Total
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Participating associations: 7 <s>(8)</s>
!rowspan=2|11!!0 <s>(2)</s>!!0!!0
|-
!colspan=3|0 <s>(2)</s>
|-
!colspan=4|11 <s>(13)</s>
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
|+East Asia Zone (1 group)
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|[[AFC Club Competitions Ranking|Rank]]
!rowspan=3 width=200|Member<br />Association
!rowspan=3|Points<ref name="ranking"/>
!colspan=5|Slots
|-
!rowspan=2|Group<br />stage
!colspan=4|Play-off
|-
!{{small|Zone}}
!{{small|AFC}}
!{{small|{{nowrap|Play-off}}<br />round}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />{{nowrap|round 2}}}}
!{{small|Prelim.<br />{{nowrap|round 1}}}}
|-bgcolor=ffcccc
| 1||14||align=left|{{fba|PRK}}{{Cref2|AFC1}}
|30.100||0||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 2||23||align=left|{{fba|HKG}}
|19.945||1||1||0||0
|-bgcolor=ffcccc
| 3||32||align=left|{{fba|MAC}}{{Cref2|MAC}}
| 5.489||0<s>(1)</s>||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 4||39||align=left|{{fba|TPE}}
| 0.457||1||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=#90ee77
| 5||40||align=left|{{fba|MNG}}
| 0.274||0||1||0||0
|-bgcolor=ffcccc
| 6||42||align=left|{{fba|GUM}}{{Cref2|AFC1}}
| 0.000||0||0||0||0
|-bgcolor=ffcccc
| 7||42||align=left|{{fba|NMI}}{{Cref2|AFC1}}
| 0.000||0||0||0||0
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Total
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Participating associations: 4
!rowspan=2|2<s>(3)</s>!!2!!0!!0
|-
!colspan=3|2
|-
!colspan=4|4<s>(5)</s>
|}
{{col-end}}

;Notes
{{Cnote2 Begin|liststyle=disc}}
{{Cnote2|AFC1|'''AFC Licensing (AFC1):''' Association did not implement the club licensing system.<ref name="afc-license">{{cite web|url=https://assets.the-afc.com/downloads/club-licensing/List-of-Licensed-Clubs-for-AFC-Cup-2022-as-at-1-December-2021.pdf|title=List of Licensed Clubs for the 2022 AFC Cup|website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote2|AFC2|'''AFC Licensing (AFC2):''' Association did not have a licensed club.<ref name="afc-license"/>}}
{{Cnote2|BAN|'''Bangladesh (BAN):''' Maldives' representative [[Club Valencia (Maldives)|Valencia]] withdrew from the competition after the preliminary round 1. As a result, Bangladesh's representative [[Abahani Limited Dhaka]] directly advanced to the play-off round.<ref name="Valencia1">{{cite web |title=Latest update on the AFC Cup 2022 |url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cup/news/latest_update_on_the_afc_cup_2022%E2%84%A2.html |website=the-afc.com |publisher=Asian Football Confederation |access-date=12 April 2022 |date=11 April 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote2|JOR|'''Jordan (JOR):''' Jordan's only team granted a license are playing in the 2022 AFC Champions League.}}
{{Cnote2|KUW|'''Kuwait (KUW):''' Kuwait is given an additional slot due to unallocated slots in West Zone (Entry Manual Article 5.2).}}
{{Cnote2|MAC|'''Macau (MAC):''' Macau's indirect slot is annulled as Benfica Macau, the Liga de Elite runners-up, refuses to enter the AFC Cup (Entry Manual Article 9.11).}}
{{Cnote2|MYA|'''Myanmar (MYA):''' The teams from Myanmar which originally entered the AFC Cup, [[Shan United F.C.|Shan United]] and [[Hanthawaddy United F.C.|Hantharwady United]], withdrew from the competition after the draw.<ref name="19Jan22">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league/news/afc_confirms_the_withdrawal_of_myanmar_clubs.html|title=AFC confirms the withdrawal of Myanmar clubs|website=the-afc.com|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|date=19 January 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote2|PHI|'''Philippines (PHI):''' Philippines are ranked 6th in the East Region for AFC Champions League allocation, and thus are allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage without taking away any direct slot from other associations.}}
{{Cnote2|UZB|'''Uzbekistan (UZB):''' Uzbekistan are ranked 6th in the West Region for AFC Champions League allocation, and thus are allocated one direct slot in the AFC Cup group stage without taking away any direct slot from other associations.}}
{{Cnote2|VIE|'''Vietnam (VIE):''' Vietnam had only one entry as [[Nam Dinh FC|Nam Dinh]], the 2021 V.League 1 fourth place, refuses to enter the AFC Cup (Entry Manual Article 9.11).}}
{{Cnote2 End}}

==Teams==
{{Location map+|AFC|width=900|float=center|caption=Location of teams of the '''2021 AFC Cup'''.<br />
[[File:Brown pog.svg|8px]] Brown: Group A; [[File:Red pog.svg|8px]] Red: Group B; [[File:Orange pog.svg|8px]] Orange: Group C; [[File:Yellow pog.svg|8px]] Yellow: Group D; [[File:Pink pog.svg|8px]] Pink: Group E;<br />[[File:Green pog.svg|8px]] Green: Group F; [[File:Blue pog.svg|8px]] Blue: Group G; [[File:Cyan pog.svg|8px]] Cyan: Group H; [[File:Turquoise pog.svg|8px]] Turquoise: Group I; [[File:Purple pog.svg|8px]] Purple: Group J;<br />'''(H)''' Group stage hosts<br />[[File:White pog.svg|8px]] Qualifying play-offs<br /><s>Withdrawn teams</s>|places=
<!--Lebanon-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=33.886944|long=35.513056|label_size=70|label='''Lebanon'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Syria-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=35.516667|long=35.783333|label_size=70|label='''Syria'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Bahrain-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=26.100833|long=50.487778|label_size=70|label='''Bahrain'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=left}}
<!--Oman-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=23.680278|long=58.1825|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Al-Seeb Club|Al-Seeb]] '''(H)'''}}|mark=Brown pog.svg|position=right}}
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=17.082711|long=54.143789|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Dhofar Club|Dhofar]]}}|mark=Red pog.svg|position=bottom}}
<!--Palestine-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=32.222222|long=35.261111|label_size=70|label='''Palestine'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Kuwait-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=29.328889|long=47.987778|label_size=70|label='''Kuwait'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Uzbekistan-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=40.115833|long=67.842222|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[FC Sogdiana Jizzakh|Sogdiana Jizzakh]]}}|mark=Pink pog.svg|position=left}}
<!--Tajikistan-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=40.292222|long=69.614167|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[FK Khujand|Khujand]]}}|mark=Green pog.svg|position=top}}
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=38.536667|long=68.78|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[CSKA Pamir Dushanbe|Pamir]] '''(H)'''}}|mark=Pink pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Turkmenistan-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=37.928|long=58.35|label_size=70|label='''Ashgabat'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=left}}
<!--Kyrgyzstan-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=42.88|long=74.598|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[FC Dordoi Bishkek|Dordoi]] '''(H)'''}}|mark=Green pog.svg|position=top}}
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=41.031944|long=72.483333|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[FC Neftchi Kochkor-Ata|Neftchi Kochkor-Ata]]}}|mark=Pink pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--India-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=11.25|long=75.77|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Gokulam Kerala FC|Gokulam Kerala]]}}|mark=Yellow pog.svg|position=right}}
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=22.5726|long=88.3639|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Mohun Bagan Super Giant|ATK Mohun Bagan]] '''(H)'''}}|mark=Yellow pog.svg|position=left}}
<!--Bangladesh-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=23.728|long=90.413|label_size=70|label='''Dhaka'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Maldives-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=4.174360|long=73.513037|label_size=70|label='''Malé'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Nepal-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=27.7172|long=85.324|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Machhindra F.C.|Machhindra]]}}|mark=White pog.svg|position=left}}
<!--Sri Lanka-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=6.586944|long=79.960278|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Blue Star SC|Blue Star]]}}|mark=White pog.svg|position=left}}
<!--Bhutan-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=27.433333|long=89.416667|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Paro FC]]}}|mark=White pog.svg|position=top}}
<!--Philippines-->
{{location map~|AFC|lat=10.72|long=122.57|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Kaya F.C.–Iloilo]]}}|mark=Blue pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Vietnam-->
{{location map~|AFC|lat=21.028333|long=105.854167|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Viettel FC]]}}|mark=Turquoise pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Malaysia-->
{{location map~|AFC|lat=3.147778|long=101.695278|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Kuala Lumpur City F.C.|Kuala Lumpur City]] '''(H)'''}}|mark=Cyan pog.svg|position=right}}
{{location map~|AFC|lat=6.118333|long=100.369444|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Kedah Darul Aman F.C.|Kedah Darul Aman]]}}|mark=Blue pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Singapore-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=1.309845|long=103.763015|label_size=70|label='''Singapore'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Myanmar-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=20.778333|long=97.037778|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|<s>[[Shan United F.C.|Shan United]]</s>}}|mark=White pog.svg|position=top}}
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=17.333333|long=96.483333|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|<s>[[Hanthawaddy United F.C.|Hanthawady United]]</s>}}|mark=White pog.svg|position=left}}
<!--Indonesia-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=-8.546808|long=115.304360|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Bali United F.C.|Bali United]] '''(H)'''}}|mark=Blue pog.svg|position=bottom}}
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=-5.116667|long=119.416667|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[PSM Makassar]]}}|mark=Cyan pog.svg|position=top}}
<!--Cambodia-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=11.983333|long=105.45|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Phnom Penh Crown FC|Phnom Penh Crown]]}}|mark=Turquoise pog.svg|position=top}}
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=11.569444|long=104.921111|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Visakha FC|Visakha]]}}|mark=Blue pog.svg|position=left}}
<!--Laos-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=17.966667|long=102.6|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Young Elephants FC|Young Elephants]]}}|mark=Turquoise pog.svg|position=top}}
<!--Brunei-->
<!--Timor Leste-->
<!--Hong Kong-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=22.325969|long=114.172796|label_size=70|label='''Hong Kong'''|mark=Black pog.svg|position=top}}
<!--Macau-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=22.207918|long=113.543628|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|<s>[[Chao Pak Kei|MUST CPK]]</s>}}|mark=White pog.svg|position=left}}
<!--Chinese Taipei-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=22.983333|long=120.183333|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Tainan City F.C.|Tainan City]]}}|mark=Purple pog.svg|position=right}}
<!--Mongolia-->
{{Location map~|AFC|lat=47.889068|long=106.797569|label_size=70|label={{nowrap|[[Athletic 220 FC|Athletic 220]]}}|mark=White pog.svg|position=top}}

{{Location map~|AFC|mark=TransparentPlaceholder.png |marksize=1 |lat=-5 |long=53 |label_size=70 |label=
{{nowrap|'''Syria teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Orange pog.svg|8px]] [[Tishreen SC|Tishreen]]}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Brown pog.svg|8px]] [[Jableh SC|Jableh]]}}<br /><br />

{{nowrap|'''Lebanon teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Brown pog.svg|8px]] [[Al Ansar FC|Al-Ansar]]}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Orange pog.svg|8px]] [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]]}}<br /><br />

{{nowrap|'''Palestine teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Red pog.svg|8px]] [[Shabab Al-Khalil SC|Shabab Al-Khalil]]}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Orange pog.svg|8px]] [[Hilal Al-Quds Club|Hilal Al-Quds]]}}<br /><br />

{{nowrap|'''Kuwait teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Red pog.svg|8px]] [[Al-Arabi SC (Kuwait)|Al-Arabi]] '''(H)'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Brown pog.svg|8px]] [[Kuwait SC|Al-Kuwait]]}}
|position=right
}}
{{Location map~|AFC|mark=TransparentPlaceholder.png |marksize=1 |lat=-5 |long=70 |label_size=70 |label=
{{nowrap|'''Bahrain teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Red pog.svg|8px]] [[Riffa SC|Al-Riffa]]}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Orange pog.svg|8px]] [[East Riffa Club|East Riffa]] '''(H)'''}}<br /><br />

{{nowrap|'''Ashgabat teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Pink pog.svg|8px]] [[Altyn Asyr FK|Altyn Asyr]]}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Green pog.svg|8px]] [[Köpetdag Aşgabat]]}}<br /><br />

{{nowrap|'''Dhaka teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Yellow pog.svg|8px]] [[Bashundhara Kings]]}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:White pog.svg|8px]] [[Abahani Limited Dhaka|Dhaka Abahani]]}}<br /><br />

{{nowrap|'''Malé teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Yellow pog.svg|8px]] [[Maziya S&RC|Maziya]]}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:White pog.svg|8px]] [[Club Valencia (Maldives)|Valencia]]}}
|position=right
}}
{{Location map~ |AFC|mark=TransparentPlaceholder.png |marksize=1 |lat=25 |long=145 |label_size=70 |label=
{{nowrap|'''Hong Kong teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Purple pog.svg|8px]] [[Eastern Sports Club|Eastern]]}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Purple pog.svg|8px]] [[Lee Man FC|Lee Man]]}}<br /><br />

{{nowrap|'''Singapore teams'''}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Turquoise pog.svg|8px]] [[Hougang United FC|Hougang United]]}}<br />
{{nowrap|[[File:Cyan pog.svg|8px]] [[Tampines Rovers FC|Tampines Rovers]]}}
}}
}}
{{clear}}

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+West Asia Zone
|+[[#Group stage|Group stage]] direct entrants (Groups A–C)
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{fbaicon|LBN}} [[Al Ansar FC|Al-Ansar]]
|[[2020–21 Lebanese Premier League]] champions and [[2020–21 Lebanese FA Cup]] winners
|8th {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|LIB}} [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]]
|[[2020–21 Lebanese Premier League]] runners-up
|10th {{small|([[2019 AFC Cup|2019]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|SYR}} [[Tishreen SC|Tishreen]]
|[[2020–21 Syrian Premier League]] champions
|2nd {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|SYR}} [[Jableh SC|Jableh]]
|[[2020–21 Syrian Cup]] winners
|1st
|-
|{{flagicon|BHR}} [[Al-Riffa SC|Al-Riffa]]
|[[2020–21 Bahraini Premier League]] champions and [[2020–21 Bahraini King's Cup]] winners
|6th {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|BHR}} [[East Riffa Club|East Riffa]]
|[[2020–21 Bahraini Premier League]] runners-up
|1st
|-
|{{flagicon|OMA}} [[Al-Seeb Club|Al-Seeb]]
|[[2019–20 Oman Professional League]] champions{{Cref|Note OMA}}
|1st
|-
|{{flagicon|OMA}} [[Dhofar Club|Dhofar]]
|[[2020–21 Sultan Qaboos Cup]] winners
|6th {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|PLE}} [[Shabab Al-Khalil SC|Shabab Al-Khalil]]
|[[2020–21 West Bank Premier League]] champions
|2nd {{small|([[2017 AFC Cup|2017]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|PLE}} [[Hilal Al-Quds Club|Hilal Al-Quds]]
|[[2020–21 West Bank Premier League]] third place{{Cref2|Note PLE}}
|5th {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|KUW}} [[Al-Arabi SC (Kuwait)|Al-Arabi]]
|[[2020–21 Kuwaiti Premier League]] champions
|2nd {{small|([[2009 AFC Cup|2009]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|KUW}} [[Kuwait SC|Al-Kuwait]]
|[[2020–21 Kuwait Emir Cup]] winners
|11th {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+South Asia Zone
|+[[#Group stage|Group stage]] direct entrants (Group D)
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Gokulam Kerala FC|Gokulam Kerala]]
|[[2020–21 I-League]] champions
|1st
|-
|{{flagicon|BAN}} [[Bashundhara Kings]]
|[[2021 Bangladesh Premier League (football)|2021 Bangladesh Premier League]] champions and [[2020–21 Bangladesh Federation Cup]] winners
|3rd {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|MDV}} [[Maziya S&RC|Maziya]]
|[[2020–21 Dhivehi Premier League]] champions
|8th {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+[[#Qualifying play-offs|Qualifying play-off]] participants: Entering in [[#Play-off round|play-off round]]
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|App {{small|(Last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|BAN}} [[Abahani Limited Dhaka|Dhaka Abahani]] 
|[[2021 Bangladesh Premier League (football)|2021 Bangladesh Premier League]] third place{{Cref|Note BAN}}
|5th {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+[[#Qualifying play-offs|Qualifying play-off]] participants: Entering in [[#Preliminary round 2|preliminary round 2]]
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Mohun Bagan Super Giant|ATK Mohun Bagan]]
|[[2020–21 Indian Super League season#Regular season|2020–21 Indian Super League regular season]] runners-up{{Cref|Note IND}}
|6th {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}<ref>{{cite web |title=AFC Cup 2021: Mohun Bagan to Mohun Bagan - How have the Mariners performed in Asia?|url= https://www.goal.com/en-in/news/afc-cup-2021-mohun-bagan-asian-club-competitions/5fueu8620wf11t79yamc881n1|website=goal.com}}</ref>
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+[[#Qualifying play-offs|Qualifying play-off]] participants: Entering in [[#Preliminary round 1|preliminary round 1]]
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|MDV}} [[Club Valencia (Maldives)|Valencia]]
|[[2020–21 Dhivehi Premier League]] runners-up{{Cref|Note MDV}}
|5th {{small|([[2017 AFC Cup|2017]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|NEP}} [[Machhindra F.C.|Machhindra]]
|[[2021 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League]] Matchday 7 leaders{{Cref|Note NEP}}
|1st 
|-
|{{flagicon|SRI}} [[Blue Star SC|Blue Star]]
|[[2021 Sri Lanka Super League]] champions
|1st
|-
|{{flagicon|BHU}} [[Paro FC|Paro]]
|[[2021 Bhutan Premier League]] champions
|2nd {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+Central Asia Zone
|+[[#Group stage|Group stage]] direct entrants (Groups E–F)
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|UZB}} [[FC Sogdiana Jizzakh|Sogdiana Jizzakh]]
|[[2021 Uzbekistan Super League]] runners-up{{Cref2|Note ACL}}
|1st
|-
|{{fbaicon|TJK}} [[FK Khujand|Khujand]]
|[[2021 Tajikistan Cup]] winners
|6th {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{fbaicon|TJK}} [[CSKA Pamir Dushanbe]]
|[[2021 Tajikistan Higher League]] third place
|1st
|-
|{{flagicon|TKM}} [[Altyn Asyr FK|Altyn Asyr]]
|[[2021 Ýokary Liga]] champions{{Cref|Note TKM1}}
|8th {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|TKM}} [[Köpetdag Aşgabat]]
|[[2021 Ýokary Liga]] fourth place{{Cref|Note TKM2}}
|1st
|-
|{{flagicon|KGZ}} [[FC Dordoi Bishkek|Dordoi Bishkek]]
|[[2021 Kyrgyz Premier League]] champions
|7th {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|KGZ}} [[Neftchi Kochkor-Ata]]
|[[2021 Kyrgyzstan Cup]] winners
|2nd {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+ASEAN Zone
|+[[#Group stage|Group stage]] direct entrants (Groups G–I)
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|PHI}} [[Kaya F.C.–Iloilo]]
|[[2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara]] winners{{Cref|Note PHI}}
|4th {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|VIE}} [[Viettel FC|Viettel]]
|[[2021 V.League 1]] second place{{Cref|Note VIE}}  
|1st
|-
|{{flagicon|MAS}} [[Kuala Lumpur City F.C.|Kuala Lumpur City]]
|[[2021 Malaysia Cup]] winners{{Cref|Note MAS}}
|1st
|-
|{{flagicon|MAS}} [[Kedah Darul Aman F.C.|Kedah Darul Aman]]
|[[2021 Malaysia Super League]] runners-up
|4th {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|SIN}} [[Hougang United FC|Hougang United]]
|[[2021 Singapore Premier League]] third place{{Cref|Note SIN}}
|2nd {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|SIN}} [[Tampines Rovers FC|Tampines Rovers]]
|[[2021 Singapore Premier League]] fourth place{{Cref|Note SIN}}
|13th {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|IDN}} [[Bali United F.C.|Bali United]]
|[[2019 Liga 1 (Indonesia)|2019 Liga 1]] champions{{Cref2|Note IDN}}
|4th {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|IDN}} [[PSM Makassar]]
|[[2018–19 Piala Indonesia]] winners{{Cref2|Note IDN}}
|3rd {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|CAM}} [[Phnom Penh Crown FC|Phnom Penh Crown]]
|[[2021 C-League]] champions
|2nd {{small|([[2017 AFC Cup|2017]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|CAM}} [[Visakha FC]]
|[[2021 Hun Sen Cup]] winners
|2nd {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|LAO}} [[Young Elephants FC|Young Elephants]]
|[[2020 Lao Premier League]] third place
|1st
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+Withdrawn teams
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|App. {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|MYA}} [[Shan United F.C.|Shan United]]
|[[2020 Myanmar National League]] champions{{Cref|Note MYA}}
|4th {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|MYA}} [[Hanthawaddy United F.C.|Hantharwady United]]
|[[2020 Myanmar National League]] runners-up{{Cref|Note MYA}}
|1st
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+East Asia Zone
|+[[#Group stage|Group stage]] direct entrants (Group J)
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|HKG}} [[Eastern Sports Club|Eastern]]
|[[2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League]] runners-up{{Cref|Note HKG}}
|3rd {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|TPE}} [[Tainan City F.C.|Tainan City]]
|[[2021 Taiwan Football Premier League|2021 Taiwan Premier League]] champions
|2nd {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+[[#Qualifying play-offs|Qualifying play-off]] participants
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|{{Tooltip|App.|Appearance}} {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|HKG}} [[Lee Man FC|Lee Man]]
|[[2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League]] third place{{Cref|Note HKG}}
|2nd {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|-
|{{flagicon|MNG}} [[Athletic 220 FC|Athletic 220]]
|[[2021 Mongolian Premier League]] champions
|2nd {{small|([[2021 AFC Cup|2021]])}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="table-layout:fixed;width:100%;"
|+Withdrawn teams
|-
!width=25%|Team
!width=60%|Qualifying method
!width=15%|App. {{small|(last)}}
|-
|{{flagicon|MAC}} [[Chao Pak Kei|MUST CPK]]
|[[2021 Liga de Elite]] champions and [[2021 Taça de Macau]] winners{{Cref|Note MAC}}
|2nd {{small|([[2020 AFC Cup|2020]])}}
|}
{{col-end}}

;Notes
{{Cnote2 Begin|liststyle=disc}}
{{Cnote2|Note ACL|'''AFC Champions League (ACL):''' Standby team replacing another team qualified for the [[2022 AFC Champions League group stage]].}}
{{Cnote2|Note BAN|'''Bangladesh (BAN):''' The second-placed team Sheikh Jamal were ineligible as they failed to obtain an AFC license.}}
{{Cnote2|Note HKG|'''Hong Kong (HKG):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong]], the [[2020–21 Hong Kong FA Cup]] was cancelled and declared null and void by the [[Hong Kong Football Association]]. The teams from Hong Kong playing in the 2022 AFC Cup are determined only by the results of the [[2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.mingpao.com/ins/體育/article/20210204/s00006/1612434098961/港足丨今屆足總盃及銀牌取消-港足主帥麥柏倫延長合約至6月|title=今屆足總盃及銀牌取消 港足主帥麥柏倫延長合約至6月|publisher=明報|date=4 February 2021|language=zh}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote2|Note IDN|'''Indonesia (IDN):''' The [[2019 Liga 1 (Indonesia)|2019 Liga 1]] champions, Bali United and [[2018–19 Piala Indonesia]] winners, PSM Makassar were chosen to represent Indonesia in the 2022 AFC Cup because the [[2020 Liga 1 (Indonesia)|2020 Liga 1]] and the [[2020 Piala Indonesia]] were cancelled and declared void by the [[Football Association of Indonesia]] and [[2021–22 Liga 1 (Indonesia)|2021–22 Liga 1]] is still running and not be finished until April 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kompetisi Liga 1 dan 2 Musim 2020–2021 Resmi Dibatalkan |url=https://www.pssi.org/news/kompetisi-liga-1-dan-2-musim-2020-2021-resmi-dibatalkan |website=PSSI - Football Association of Indonesia |access-date=20 January 2021 |language=id-ID |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127200121/https://www.pssi.org/news/kompetisi-liga-1-dan-2-musim-2020-2021-resmi-dibatalkan |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BALI UNITED KEMBALI WAKILI INDONESIA DI AJANG PIALA AFC 2022 |url=https://www.baliutd.com/news/media-news/bali-united-kembali-wakili-indonesia-di-ajang-piala-afc-2022/ |website=Bali United Official Website |access-date=30 December 2021}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote2|Note IND|'''India (IND):''' Since [[Mumbai City FC|Mumbai City]], the [[2020–21 Indian Super League season#Regular season|2020–21 Indian Super League regular season]] premiers, are also the [[2020–21 Indian Super League playoffs]] winners, [[Mohun Bagan SG|ATK Mohun Bagan]], the [[2020–21 Indian Super League season#Regular season|2020–21 Indian Super League regular season]] runners-up, qualify for the 2022 AFC Cup.}}
{{Cnote2|Note MAC|'''Macau (MAC):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Macau|COVID-19 pandemic]] travel restrictions, [[Chao Pak Kei|Must CPK]] withdrew from the competition after the draw.}}
{{Cnote2|Note MAS|'''Malaysia (MAS):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia]], the 2021 [[Malaysia FA Cup]] was cancelled and not organized by the [[Football Association of Malaysia]]. The [[2021 Malaysia Cup]] winners will qualify for the 2022 AFC Cup.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aseanfootball.org/v3/no-2021-malaysia-fa-cup-competition/|title=No 2021 Malaysia FA Cup competition|publisher=ASEAN Football Federation|date=28 January 2021}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote2|Note MDV|'''Maldives (MDV):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Maldives]], the 2021 [[Maldives FA Cup]] was cancelled and not organized by the [[Football Association of Maldives]]. The teams from Maldives playing in the 2022 AFC Cup are determined only by the results of the [[2020–21 Dhivehi Premier League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/MaldivesFA/posts/2818175291825791|title=Important decisions taken in the congress for the 2020/21 football season!|publisher=Football Association of Maldives|website=facebook.com|date=31 May 2021}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote2|Note MYA|'''Myanmar (MYA):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar]] plus the 2021 Myanmar [[2021 Myanmar coup d'état|coup d'état]] and [[2021 Myanmar protests|protests]], the [[2021 Myanmar National League]] was not held by the [[Myanmar Football Federation]].}}
{{Cnote2|Note NEP|'''Nepal (NEP):''' Since the [[2021–22 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League]] could not be completed in time, it was agreed that the table toppers after matchday 7 would qualify for the AFC Cup.}}
{{Cnote2|Note OMA|'''Oman (OMA):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Oman]], the [[2020–21 Oman Professional League]] was cancelled and declared null and void by the [[Oman Football Association]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thearabianstories.com/2021/04/01/covid-19-oman-football-association-cancels-all-tournaments/|title=COVID-19: Oman Football Association cancels all tournaments|publisher=thearabianstories.com|date=1 April 2021}}</ref> One of the two teams from Oman playing in the 2022 AFC Cup was determined by the results of the previous domestic season ([[2019–20 Oman Professional League]]).}}
{{Cnote2|Note PLE|'''Palestine (PLE):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine]], the 2020–21 [[Palestine Cup]] was cancelled and not organized by the [[Palestinian Football Association]]. The teams from Palestine playing in the 2022 AFC Cup are determined only by the results of the [[2020–21 West Bank Premier League]]. The second-placed team Markaz Balata were ineligible as they failed to obtain an AFC license.}}
{{Cnote2|Note PHI|'''Philippines (PHI):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines]], the [[2021 Philippines Football League]] was cancelled, with the [[2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara]] used to determine the Philippine club to participate. The [[Azkals Development Team]] were the runners-up in the competition, however the club did not own an AFC club license and was thus ineligible to compete in AFC club competitions.<ref name=copa-nov>{{cite news |last1=Terrado |first1=Jonas |title=United City to skip Copa Paulino Alcantara |url=https://mb.com.ph/2021/10/31/united-city-to-skip-copa-paulino-alcantara |access-date=1 November 2021 |work=Manila Bulletin |date=31 October 2021}}</ref> Kaya F.C.–Iloilo first played in the [[2022 AFC Champions League#Qualifying play-offs|2022 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs]] and were eliminated, but still qualified to the AFC Cup group stage.}}
{{Cnote2|Note SIN|'''Singapore (SIN):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore]], the 2021 [[Singapore Cup]] was cancelled and not organized by the [[Football Association of Singapore]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2021 Singapore Premier League season to resume on 17 July |url=https://spl.sg/2021-spl-resume-17-july/ |access-date=24 June 2021}}</ref> The teams from Singapore playing in the 2022 AFC Cup are determined only by the results of the [[2021 Singapore Premier League]].}}
{{Cnote2|Note TKM1|'''Turkmenistan (TKM1):''' Only [[Ahal FK|Ahal]] (the Ýokary Liga runners-up) were granted an AFC Champions League license; so Altyn Asyr qualified for 2022 AFC Cup instead.<ref name="acl-license">{{cite web|url=https://assets.the-afc.com/downloads/club-licensing/List-of-Licensed-Clubs-for-AFC-Champions-League-2022-as-at-1-December-2021.pdf|title=List of Licensed Clubs for the 2022 AFC Champions League|website=the-afc.com|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|access-date=2021-12-03|archive-date=2021-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205193729/https://assets.the-afc.com/downloads/club-licensing/List-of-Licensed-Clubs-for-AFC-Champions-League-2022-as-at-1-December-2021.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="afc-license"/>}}
{{Cnote2|Note TKM2|'''Turkmenistan (TKM2):'''[[2021 Turkmenistan Cup]] winners<ref>{{cite web|url=https://turkmenistan.gov.tm/en/post/59772/shagadam-won-turkmenistan-football-cup-second-time|title="Shagadam" won the Turkmenistan Football Cup for the second time|publisher=turkmenistan.gov.tm|accessdate=23 December 2021}}</ref> and [[2021 Ýokary Liga]] 3rd place [[Şagadam FK|Şagadam]] were not granted an AFC Cup license.  As a result, Köpetdag, the second best team granted an AFC Cup license and not an AFC Champions League license (2021 Ýokary Liga fourth place), qualified for the 2022 AFC Cup.<ref name="acl-license"/><ref name="afc-license"/>}}
{{Cnote2|Note VIE|'''Vietnam (VIE):''' Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam]], the [[2021 V.League 1]] and [[2021 Vietnamese Cup]] were both abandoned by the [[Vietnam Football Federation]]. It was decided that the league's first placed team at the time of abandonment would take the AFC Champions League slot,<ref>{{cite web |title=Hoang Anh Gia Lai to represent Vietnam in AFC Champions League 2022 |url=https://e.vnexpress.net/news/sports/football/hoang-anh-gia-lai-to-represent-vietnam-in-afc-champions-league-2022-4395368.html|website=VN Express International|author=Duc Dong|date=27 November 2021 |access-date=1 January 2022}}</ref> with the AFC Cup slots to go to the second and third placed teams.<ref>{{cite web |title=Following the cancellation of the 2021 #vleague, it's now confirmed: no championship title awarded, no relegation / promotion, the ranking of teams after 12 rounds determines ACL & AFC allocations |url=https://twitter.com/soccervietnam/status/1440959330145091593 |website=twitter.com |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref> Subsequently, third-placed team [[Than Quang Ninh FC|Than Quang Ninh]] were omitted from V-League competitions, after loss of their main sponsor and other financial difficulties.<ref>{{cite web |title=Than Quang Ninh Fans Heartbroken by Club's Demise. Here's why |url=https://vietreader.com/life/52378-than-quang-ninh-fans-heartbroken-by-clubs-demise-heres-why.html|website=VietReader|author=thamnguyen99|date=3 December 2021 |access-date=1 January 2022}}</ref> [[Nam Dinh FC|Nam Dinh]], who were fourth at the time of the suspension, should be given the AFC Cup slot but declined.}}
{{Cnote2 End}}

==Schedule==
The tournament ran from April to October 2022, so as not to clash with the [[2022 FIFA World Cup|World Cup]].<ref name="calendar">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/documents/afc-competitions-calendar-2022|title=AFC Competitions Calendar 2022|website=the-afc.com|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|date=29 November 2019}}</ref>

The final schedule of the competition was as follows:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Stage
!Round
!Draw dates
!Match dates
|-
|rowspan=2|Preliminary stage
|Preliminary round 1
|rowspan=7|17 January 2022
|5 April 2022 (S)
|-
|Preliminary round 2
|12 April 2022 (S)
|-
|Play-off stage
|Play-off round
|19 April 2022 (S, E)
|-
|rowspan=3|Group stage
|Matchday 1
|18 May 2022 (W, S), 24 June 2022 (C, A, E)
|-
|Matchday 2
|21 May 2022 (W, S), 27 June 2022 (C, A, E)
|-
|Matchday 3
|24 May 2022 (W, S), 30 June 2022 (C, A, E)
|-
|rowspan=5|Knockout stage
|Zonal semi-finals
|9–10 August 2022 (A), 5–6 September 2022 (W)
|-
|Zonal finals
|rowspan=4|14 July 2022
|17 August 2022 (C)<br />24 August 2022 (A), 4 October 2022 (W)
|-
|Inter-zone play-off semi-finals
|6–7 September 2022
|-
|Inter-zone play-off final
|5 October 2022
|-
|Final
|22 October 2022 at 
[[Bukit Jalil National Stadium]], [[Kuala Lumpur]]
|}
;Notes
*W: West Asia Zone
*S: South Asia Zone
*C: Central Asia Zone
*A: ASEAN Zone
*E: East Asia Zone

==Qualifying play-offs==
{{Main|2022 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs}}	
{{#lst:2022 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs|Format}}

===Preliminary round 1===
{{#lst:2022 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs|Preliminary round 1}}

===Preliminary round 2===
{{#lst:2022 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs|Preliminary round 2}}

===Play-off round===
{{#lst:2022 AFC Cup qualifying play-offs|Play-off round}}

==Group stage==
{{main|2022 AFC Cup group stage}}
{{#lst:2022 AFC Cup group stage|Draw}}
{{#lst:2022 AFC Cup group stage|Format}}
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
!Tiebreakers
|-
|{{#lst:2022 AFC Cup group stage|Tiebreakers}}
|}

===Group A===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group A|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Group B===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group B|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Group C===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group C|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Group D===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group D|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Group E===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group E|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Group F===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group F|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Group G===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group G|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Group H===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group H|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Group I===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group I|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Group J===
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group J|show_matches=yes|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules|teamwidth=240}}

===Ranking of runner-up teams===
====West Asia Zone====
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group runners-up (West Asia Zone)|teamwidth=200}}

====ASEAN Zone====
{{2022 AFC Cup group tables|Group runners-up (ASEAN Zone)|teamwidth=200}}
==Knockout stage==
{{main|2022 AFC Cup knockout stage}}
{{#section-h:2022 AFC Cup knockout stage|Format}}

===Bracket===
{{#section-h:2022 AFC Cup knockout stage|Bracket}}

===Zonal semi-finals===
{{#section-h:2022 AFC Cup knockout stage|Zonal semi-finals}}

===Zonal finals===
{{#section-h:2022 AFC Cup knockout stage|Zonal finals}}

===Inter-zone play-off semi-finals===
{{#section-h:2022 AFC Cup knockout stage|Inter-zone play-off semi-finals}}

===Inter-zone play-off final===
{{#section-h:2022 AFC Cup knockout stage|Inter-zone play-off final}}

===Final===
{{#section-h:2022 AFC Cup knockout stage|Final}}

==Top scorers==
{{smalldiv|{{legend|silver|Team eliminated / inactive for this round.}}}}
{{smalldiv|{{legend|#DDDDDD|Player is not in the team but team still active for this round.}}}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
!Rank
!Player
!Team
!{{Tooltip|MD1|Group stage Matchday 1}}
!{{Tooltip|MD2|Group stage Matchday 2}}
!{{Tooltip|MD3|Group stage Matchday 3}}
!{{Tooltip|ZSF|Zonal semi-finals}}
!{{Tooltip|ZF|Zonal finals}}
!{{Tooltip|ISF|Inter-zone play-off semi-finals}}
!{{Tooltip|IF|Inter-zone play-off final}}
!{{Tooltip|F|Final}}
!Total
|-
! rowspan="3" |1
|align=left|{{flagicon|UZB}} [[Jasur Hasanov (footballer, born 1983)|Jasur Hasanov]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|UZB}} [[FC Sogdiana Jizzakh|Sogdiana Jizzakh]]
| ||1||2||bgcolor="silver" colspan=1| ||2|| || ||bgcolor="silver"|
! rowspan="3" |5
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|MAS}} [[Paulo Josué]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|MAS}} [[Kuala Lumpur City F.C.|Kuala Lumpur City]]
| || ||2|| ||2||1|| ||
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Pedro Paulo (footballer, born 1994)|Pedro Paulo]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|VIE}} [[Viettel FC|Viettel]]
|3|| ||2|| ||bgcolor="silver" colspan=4|
|-
! rowspan="5" |4
|align=left|{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Pedro Bortoluzo]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|SIN}} [[Hougang United]]
|1||1||2||bgcolor="silver" colspan=5|
! rowspan="5" |4
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|IND}} [[Liston Colaco]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|IND}} [[Mohun Bagan SG|Mohun Bagan]]
|1||3|| ||bgcolor="silver" colspan=2| || ||bgcolor="silver" colspan=2|
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|JOR}} [[Mahmoud Al-Mardi]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|MAS}} [[Kedah Darul Aman F.C.|Kedah Darul Aman]]
| ||1||3|| ||bgcolor="silver" colspan=4|
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|UZB}} [[Shokhruz Norkhonov]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|UZB}} [[FC Sogdiana Jizzakh|Sogdiana Jizzakh]]
| ||2|| ||bgcolor="silver" colspan=1| ||1||1|| ||bgcolor="silver"|
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|MAS}} [[Fayadh Zulkifli]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|MAS}} [[Kedah Darul Aman F.C.|Kedah Darul Aman]]
| ||2||1||1||bgcolor="silver" colspan=4|
|-
! rowspan="5" |9
|align=left|{{flagicon|BHR}} [[Kamil Al-Aswad]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|BHR}} [[Riffa SC|Al-Riffa]]
| ||2||1|| || ||bgcolor="silver" colspan=3|
! rowspan="5" |3
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Víctor Bertomeu]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|HKG}} [[Eastern Sports Club|Eastern]]
|2|| ||1||bgcolor="silver" colspan=2| || ||bgcolor="silver" colspan=2|
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|LAO}} [[Bounphachan Bounkong]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|LAO}} [[Young Elephants FC|Young Elephants]]
|1||1||1||bgcolor="silver" colspan=5|
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|OMA}} [[Muhsen Al-Ghassani]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|OMA}} [[Al-Seeb Club|Al-Seeb]]
| ||1|| ||1|| ||bgcolor="silver" colspan=2| ||1
|-
|align=left|{{flagicon|SEN}} [[Ablaye Mbengue]]
|align=left|{{fbaicon|KUW}} [[Al-Arabi SC (Kuwait)|Al-Arabi]]
|1||1||1|| ||bgcolor="silver" colspan=4|
|}

==See also==
*[[2022 AFC Champions League]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-cup/}}
*{{Twitter|afccup|name=AFC Cup}}

{{AFC Cup seasons}}
{{2022 in Asian football (AFC)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Afc Cup 2022}}
[[Category:2022 in Asian football|2]]
<!--[[Category:2022 AFC Cup| ]]-->
[[Category:AFC Champions League Two seasons|2022]]