The 2024–25 AFC Challenge League knockout stage will be played from 5 March to 10 May 2025.[1] A total of 8 teams will compete in the knockout stage to decide the champions of the 2024–25 AFC Challenge League.[2]
Qualified teams
The following teams advanced from the group stage:
The winners of the groups and the best runners-up in the West Region (Groups A–C).
The winners and runner-ups of each group in the East Region (Groups D–E).
In the knockout stage, the 8 teams will play a single-elimination tournament. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, except the final which will be played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winners if necessary (note that the away goals rule is abolished). (Regulations Article 10).
Round
Matchups
Quarter-finals
West Region
(Matchups and order of legs determined by identity of best runners-up: first team listed host first leg, second team listed host second leg)
If best runners-up from Group A
QF1: Group A runners-up vs. Group B winners
QF2: Group C winners vs. Group A winners
If best runners-up from Group B
QF1: Group B runners-up vs. Group C winners
QF2: Group A winners vs. Group B winners
If best runners-up from Group C
QF1: Group C runners-up vs. Group A winners
QF2: Group B winners vs. Group C winners
East Region
(First team listed host first leg, second team listed host second leg)
QF3: Group E runners-up vs. Group D winners
QF4: Group D runners-up vs. Group E winners
Semi-finals
(First team listed host first leg, second team listed host second leg)
West Region
SF1: Winners of QF1 vs. Winners of QF2
East Region
SF2: Winners of QF3 vs. Winners of QF4
Final
(Winners of East Region semi-finals host match)
Winners of SF2 vs. Winners of SF1
Schedule
After the draw, the schedule of each round is as follows.[1]
In the quarter-finals, the eight qualified teams play in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs determined by the group stage draw and the identity of the best runners-up.
In the Semi-finals, the winners of quarter-finals from each region will face each other in two leg matches. The winners of each tie advance to the final.
In the final, the winners of the each semi-finals will play each other, with the host team (winners of the semi-finals from East Region) alternated from the previous season's final.
