Australian soccer clubs in international competitions

Australian soccer clubs have entered Asian and Oceania competitions (AFC Champions League, OFC Champions League and the now defunct Oceania Cup Winners' Cup) since 1987 where Adelaide City entered the competition as the Australian representative. Since 2007, Australian clubs have participated in this league. For their first five competitions, the A-League was given two spots in the league- one for the champions (grand final winners) and one for the premiers (regular season winners- or the losing grand finalist if the champions and premiers were the same team). For the 2012 competition, another half a spot was added, with the highest placed team on the A-League table which has not already qualified for the AFC Champions League entering a playoff to enter the competition.

The Western Sydney Wanderers are the only Australian side to win the competition, while Adelaide United are the only Australian side to have made the final and lost.

For the 2013 competition the AFC reduced the number of A-League qualification spots to 1.5.[1] The Premiers (regular season winners) directly qualified for the Asian Champions League. The Champions (winners of grand final) entered a play off to qualify for the competition. The AFC ruled that the A-League did not meet the criteria for full participation in the tournament, including the lack of promotion and relegation within a tiered league system was a major reason, and that the A-league was not run as a separate entity to the FFA.[2][3]

From the 2014 AFC Champions League until the 2016 edition, the allocation of two spots in the group stage and one qualifying play-off spot returned and in 2017, the qualifying play-off spot dropped back to a place in the preliminary round 2.

From the 2023–24 AFC Champions League season, Australian clubs will be allocated one spot in the group stage, and two spots in the 2023–24 AFC Cup group stage.

Australian soccer clubs have entered Asian and Oceania competitions (AFC Champions League, OFC Champions League and the now defunct Oceania Cup Winners' Cup). Australian clubs have also taken part in the FIFA Club World Cup and the Pan-Pacific Championship which however, were not won by any Australian club.

Who qualifies for AFC competitions

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Competition Who qualifies
AFC Champions League group stage A-League Men Premiers
AFC Cup group stage A-League Men 2nd place
Australia Cup winners

From 2023–24 onwards

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Competition Who qualifies
AFC Champions League Elite group stage A-League Men Premiers
AFC Champions League Two group stage Australia Cup winners

Winners of Asian, Oceania and worldwide competitions from Australia

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Team Number of Wins Year(s)
Adelaide City 1 1987
Central Coast Mariners 1 2023–24
Hakoah Sydney City East 1 1987
South Melbourne 1 1999
Sydney FC 1 2005
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 2014
Wollongong Wolves 1 2001

Asian, Oceania and world competition winners

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AFC Champions League AFC Cup OFC Champions League Cup Winners' Cup
2014Western Sydney Wanderers 2023–24Central Coast Mariners 2005Sydney FC 1987Hakoah Sydney City East
2001Wollongong Wolves
1999South Melbourne
1987Adelaide City

Full Australian record for Australian soccer clubs

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AFC Champions League

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Australian teams have won the competition 1 time and been in the final on 2 occasions as of 1 November 2014.

Year Team[4] Progress Score Opponents Venue(s)
19672006 Non-AFC member
2007 Adelaide United 3rd in group stage   Gach Dong Tam Long An,   Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma,   Shandong Luneng Taishan
Sydney FC 2nd in group stage   Persik Kediri,   Shanghai Shenua,   Urawa Red Diamonds
2008 Adelaide United Final 0–5   Gamba Osaka 0–3 at Osaka Expo '70 Stadium
0–2 at Hindmarsh Stadium
Melbourne Victory 2nd in group stage   Chonburi,   Chunnam Dragons,   Gamba Osaka
2009 Central Coast Mariners 4th in group stage   Kawasaki Frontale,   Pohang Steelers,   Tianjin Teda
Newcastle Jets Round of 16 0–6   Pohang Steelers Pohang Steel Yard
2010 Adelaide United Round of 16 2–3 (a.e.t.)   Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Hindmarsh Stadium
Melbourne Victory 4th in group stage   Beijing Guoan,   Kawasaki Frontale,   Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
2011 Melbourne Victory 4th in group stage   Gamba Osaka,   Jeju United,   Tianjin Teda
Sydney FC 3rd in group stage   Kashima Antlers,   Shanghai Shenua,   Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2012 Adelaide United Quarterfinals 4–5   Bunyodkor 2–2 at Hindmarsh Stadium
2–3 (a.e.t.) at JAR Stadium
Brisbane Roar 3rd in group stage   Beijing Guoan,   FC Tokyo,   Ulsan Hyundai
Central Coast Mariners 3rd in group stage   Nagoya Grampus,   Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma,   Tianjin Teda
2013 Brisbane Roar Qualifying play-off 0–0 (a.e.t.) (0–3 p)   Buriram United Buriram Stadium
Central Coast Mariners Round of 16 1–5   Guangzhou Evergrande 1–2 at Central Coast Stadium
0–3 at Tianhe Stadium
2014 Central Coast Mariners 4th in group stage   Beijing Guoan,   FC Seoul,   Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Melbourne Victory 3rd in group stage   Guangzhou Evergrande,   Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors,   Yokohama F. Marinos
Western Sydney Wanderers Winners 1–0   Al Hilal 1–0 at Parramatta Stadium
0–0 at King Fahd International Stadium
2015 Brisbane Roar 3rd in group stage   Beijing Guoan,   Suwon Samsung Bluewings,   Urawa Red Diamonds
Central Coast Mariners Qualifying play-off 1–3   Guangzhou R&F Central Coast Stadium
Western Sydney Wanderers 3rd in group stage   FC Seoul,   Guangzhou Evergrande,   Kashima Antlers
2016 Adelaide United Qualifying play-off 1–2   Shandong Luneng Hindmarsh Stadium
Melbourne Victory Round of 16 2–3   Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1–1 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
1–2 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium
Sydney FC Round of 16 3–3 (a)   Shandong Luneng 1–1 at Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium
2–2 at Sydney Football Stadium
2017 Adelaide United 3rd in group stage   Gamba Osaka,   Jeju United,   Jiangsu Suning
Brisbane Roar 4th in group stage   Kashima Antlers,   Muangthong United,   Ulsan Hyundai
Western Sydney Wanderers 4th in group stage   FC Seoul,   Shanghai SIPG,   Urawa Red Diamonds
2018 Brisbane Roar Preliminary round 2 2–3   Ceres-Negros Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre
Melbourne Victory 3rd in group stage   Kawasaki Frontale,   Shanghai SIPG,   Ulsan Hyundai
Sydney FC 3rd in group stage   Kashima Antlers,   Shanghai Shenua,   Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2019 Melbourne Victory 4th in group stage   Daegu,   Guangzhou Evergrande,   Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Newcastle Jets Qualifying play-off 1–4   Kashima Antlers Kashima Soccer Stadium
Sydney FC 4th in group stage   Kawasaki Frontale,   Shanghai SIPG,   Ulsan Hyundai
2020 Melbourne Victory Round of 16 0–3   Ulsan Hyundai Education City Stadium
Perth Glory 4th in group stage   FC Tokyo,   Shanghai Shenhua,   Ulsan Hyundai
Sydney FC 4th in group stage   Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors,   Shanghai SIPG,   Yokohama F. Marinos
2022 Melbourne Victory Qualifying play-off 3–4 (a.e.t.)   Vissel Kobe Noevir Stadium Kobe
Melbourne City 2nd in group stage   BG Pathum United,  Jeonnam Dragons,   United City
Sydney FC 4th in group stage   Hoang Anh Gia Lai,   Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors,   Yokohama F. Marinos

AFC Cup

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Year Team[4] Progress Score Opponents Venue(s)
2023–24 Central Coast Mariners Winners 1–0   Al Ahed Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman
Macarthur FC Zonal final 2–3 (a.e.t.)   Central Coast Mariners Campbelltown Sports Stadium

OFC Champions League

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Australian teams have won the competition 4 times and been in the final on 4 occasions as of 10 June 2005.

Year Team[5] Progress Score Opponents Venue(s)
1987 Adelaide City Winners 1–1 (4–1 p)   University-Mount Wellington Hindmarsh Stadium
1999 South Melbourne Winners 5–1   Nadi Prince Charles Park
2001 Wollongong Wolves Winners 1–0   Tafea Lloyd Robson Stadium
2005 Sydney FC Winners 2–0   AS Magenta Stade Pater

Oceania Cup Winners' Cup

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Year Team[5] Progress Score Opponents Venue(s)
1987 Sydney City Winners 2–0   North Shore United Fuji Film Stadium

Performance summary by competition

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AFC Champions League

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GS: Group stage, R16: Round of 16, QF: Quarter-Finals, SF: Semi-Finals, RU: Runners-Up, W: Winners,

Team Qualified 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 23–24
Western Sydney Wanderers 3 times W GS GS
Adelaide United 5 times GS RU R16 QF GS
Melbourne Victory 8 times GS GS GS GS R16 GS GS R16
Sydney FC 7 times GS GS R16 GS GS GS GS
Central Coast Mariners 4 times GS GS R16 GS
Newcastle Jets 1 time R16
Brisbane Roar 3 times GS GS GS
Perth Glory 1 time GS
Melbourne City 2 times GS GS

AFC Cup

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Team Qualified 23–24
Central Coast Mariners 1 time W
Macarthur FC 1 time ZF

FIFA Club World Cup

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Year Team Progress Score Opponents Venue(s)
2000 South Melbourne 4th in group stage N/A   Manchester United,   Necaxa,   Vasco da Gama Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2005 Sydney FC 5th 2–1   Al Ahly National Stadium. Tokyo, Japan
2008 Adelaide United 5th 1–0   Al Ahly International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan
2014 Western Sydney Wanderers 6th 2–2 (4–5 p)   ES Sétif Stade de Marrakech. Marrakesh, Morocco

Pan-Pacific Championship

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Year Team Progress Score Opponents Venue(s)
2008 Sydney FC Semi-finals 0–3   Houston Dynamo Aloha Stadium, Halawa, United States

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "AFC cuts Champions League slots". Football Federation Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  2. ^ Micallef, Philip. "AFC ruling clouds A-League finals". The World Game. Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  3. ^ "A-League misses out on automatic ACL spot". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  4. ^ a b "AFC Champions League Summary". aleaguestats.com.
  5. ^ a b "Oceania Club Cups – Overview File". RSSSF.
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