2018 AFC Champions League
The 2018 AFC Champions League was the 37th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 16th under the current AFC Champions League title.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 16–30 January 2018 Competition proper: 12 February – 10 November 2018 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 46 (from 20 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Kashima Antlers (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Persepolis |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 126 |
| Goals scored | 364 (2.89 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,876,986 (14,897 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Baghdad Bounedjah (13 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Yuma Suzuki |
| Fair play award | Persepolis |
Kashima Antlers won the title for the first time, defeating Persepolis in the final, and qualified as the AFC representative at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Urawa Red Diamonds were the title holders, but they were unable to defend their title as they finished seventh in the 2017 J1 League and were eliminated in the fourth round of the 2017 Emperor's Cup, thus did not qualify for the tournament. It marked the second season in a row without title holders after Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were disqualified in 2017 as a result of their involvement in a match-fixing scandal in 2016.