2021 AFC Champions League final
The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh hosted the final | |||||||
| Event | 2021 AFC Champions League | ||||||
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| Date | 23 November 2021 | ||||||
| Venue | King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Moussa Marega (Al-Hilal) | ||||||
| Referee | Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates)[1] | ||||||
| Attendance | 50,171 | ||||||
| Weather | Clear 25 °C (77 °F) 47% humidity | ||||||
The 2021 AFC Champions League final was the final of the 2021 AFC Champions League, the 40th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 19th under the AFC Champions League title.
The final was contested as a single match between Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia and Pohang Steelers from South Korea. Prior to the match, both teams were joint most successful teams in the AFC Champions League, with three titles each. Al-Hilal won the match 2–0 and clinched their fourth title, becoming the outright most successful team in the history of the competition.[2][3][4][5] As Asian champions, they also qualified for the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Teams
In the following table, the finals until 2002 were in the Asian Club Championship era, and since 2003 in the AFC Champions League era.
| Team | Region | Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners) |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Hilal | West Region (Zone: WAFF) | 7 (1986,[A] 1987,[B] 1991, 2000, 2014, 2017, 2019) |
| Pohang Steelers | East Region (Zone: EAFF) | 3 (1997, 1998, 2009) |
- Notes
Venue
On 20 October 2021, the AFC announced that Mrsool Park would host the final. It was later changed to King Fahd International Stadium, also in Riyadh.[6][7]
Road to the final
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away; *: played in centralized group locations).
| Al-Hilal | Round | Pohang Steelers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opponent | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AGMK | 2–2* | Matchday 1 | Ratchaburi Mitr Phol | 2–0* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shabab Al-Ahli | 2–0* | Matchday 2 | Nagoya Grampus | 0–3* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Istiklol | 3–1* | Matchday 3 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 4–1* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Istiklol | 1–4* | Matchday 4 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 2–0* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AGMK | 3–0* | Matchday 5 | Ratchaburi Mitr Phol | 0–0* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shabab Al-Ahli | 0–2* | Matchday 6 | Nagoya Grampus | 1–1* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Group A runners-up
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Final standings | Group G runners-up
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| Opponent | Result | Knockout stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Esteghlal | 2–0 (A) | Round of 16 | Cerezo Osaka | 1–0 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Persepolis | 3–0 (H) | Quarter-finals | Nagoya Grampus | 3–0 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Al-Nassr | 2–1 (A) | Semi-finals | Ulsan Hyundai | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Format
The final was played as a single match. If tied after regulation time, extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out would have been used to decide the winning team.[8]
Match
| Al-Hilal | 2–0 | Pohang Steelers |
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Live Report Stats Report |
Al-Hilal
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Pohang Steelers
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[1]
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Match rules[8]
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Notes
- ^ Each team was only given three opportunities to make substitutions, with a fourth opportunity in extra time, excluding substitutions made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.
References
- ^ a b c d e "طاقم دولي إماراتي يُدير نهائي دوري أبطال آسيا 2021" (in Arabic). UAE Football Confederation. 29 October 2021.
- ^ Tan, Gabriel (22 November 2021). "Al Hilal, Pohang Steelers face off in ACL final gunning for record fourth crown". ESPN. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- ^ Church, Michael (21 November 2021). "Al Hilal and Pohang to face off with Asian record on the line". Reuters. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- ^ "Al Hilal, Pohang set up Riyadh decider". FIFA. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
- ^ Duerden, John (23 November 2021). "Al-Hilal win AFC Champions League with 2–0 victory over Pohang Steelers". Arab News PK. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia to host 2021 AFC Champions League final". ESPN. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Jabir, Wael (15 November 2021). "Historic King Fahd International Stadium set for major upgrade as Saudi Arabia bids for 2027 AFC Asian Cup". Arab News. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ a b "AFC Champions League 2021 Competition Regulations" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation.
External links
- AFC Champions League, the-AFC.com