Round of 16 matches are played through the first half of the year (February–May), whilst the knock-out stage thereafter is played during the second half of the year (August–November). The knock-out ties are played in a two-legged format, including the final. Allocation Teams from only 19 AFC countries have reached the group stage of the AFC Champions League. The allocation of teams by member countries is listed below; asterisks represent occasions where at least one team was eliminated in qualification prior to the group stage. 32 AFC countries have had teams participate in qualification, and countries that have never had teams reach the group stage are not shown. Prize money The prize money for the 2021 AFC Champions League: Marketing Sponsorship Like the FIFA World Cup, the AFC Champions League is sponsored by a group of multinational corporations, in contrast to the single main sponsor typically found in national top-flight leagues. The tournament's current main sponsors are: Neom Konami Molten Video game The current license holder for the AFC Champions League video game is Konami with the Pro Evolution Soccer series. The license also includes the competing teams. Records and statistics Overall performances by club Overall performances by nation Performances by region Note: Israeli clubs, winners of the 1967, 1969 and 1971 editions, are not included. Awards Most Valuable Player Top scorers Fair Play Award winners See also AFC Cup AFC Women's Club Championship Asian Cup Winners' Cup Asian Super Cup Continental football championships List of association football competitions References External links 1 Multi-national professional sports leagues