All set: Summary of the 4 Eastern Zone teams that advanced to the ACL Elite 2025-26 quarterfinals, with Buriram advancing for the second year in a row.
On 11 March 2026, the summary of the 4 Eastern Zone teams that qualified for the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26, which will be held in Saudi Arabia, includes "The Thunder Castle" Buriram United, the sole representative from the Thai League, as follows.
Buriram United 0-0 Melbourne City (Aggregate 1-1, Buriram United won 4-2 on penalties)
Machida Zelvia 1-0 Gangwon FC (Aggregate Machida Zelvia won 1-0)
Vissel Kobe 2-1 FC Seoul (Aggregate Vissel Kobe won 3-1)
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 Johor Darul Ta'zim (Aggregate Johor Darul Ta'zim won 3-2)
- Buriram United (Thailand)
- Machida Zelvia (Japan)
- Vissel Kobe (Japan)
- Johor Darul Ta'zim (Malaysia)
Initially, the draw for the AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 will take place on 18 March, setting the matchups from the quarterfinals through to the semifinals and final.
Teams from the Eastern Zone will face teams from the Western Zone starting from the quarterfinals, with the highest-ranked team from the league stage of each zone placed in separate brackets.
However, due to the Middle East conflict, the Western Zone round of 16 has been postponed indefinitely, so it remains to be seen how the AFC will proceed.