TEHRAN, IRAN — Persepolis battled to a hard-fought draw against Al Nassr in front of a roaring Azadi Stadium on Monday night, leaving their fate in the AFC Champions League Elite knockouts.
The Iranian champions are hinging on Esteghlal’s result against Al-Rayyan. The Saudis, already through to the Round of 16, rested Cristiano Ronaldo and John Durán, yet still provided a stern test for the Tehran giants.
But as the competition’s landscape shifts, Iranian clubs face an uncertain future. The AFC’s restructuring, with its elite tier favoring financial powerhouses, has widened the gap between the Gulf’s wealth-backed superclubs and Iran’s traditionally dominant teams. Despite their massive fanbases and storied histories, Persepolis and Esteghlal struggle with financial limitations, transfer bans, and infrastructural challenges that leave them at a disadvantage against Saudi and Qatari opposition.
Monday’s match symbolized this new reality—Persepolis still capable of competing, but no longer setting the pace. If Esteghlal fail to advance, it will mark the first time neither Tehran giant reaches Asia’s latter stages in a restructured format that threatens to sideline them. For Iranian football, the challenge is clear: adapt to the changing financial and regulatory environment, or risk fading from the continent’s elite conversation.
Eleven groups drawn as 44 teams begin the road to Saudi Arabia 2026. Qualifiers kick off this September across Asia.