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
2014 – Western Sydney Wanderers 2023–24 – Central Coast Mariners 2005 – Sydney FC 1987 – Hakoah Sydney City East
2001 – Wollongong Wolves
1999 – South Melbourne
1987 – Adelaide City

Full Australian record for Australian soccer clubs

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AFC Champions League

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Main article: Australian clubs in the AFC Champions League

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)
1967–2006 Non-AFC member
2007 Adelaide United 3rd in group stage – Vietnam Gach Dong Tam Long An, South Korea Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, China Shandong Luneng Taishan
Sydney FC 2nd in group stage – Indonesia Persik Kediri, China Shanghai Shenua, Japan Urawa Red Diamonds
2008 Adelaide United Final 0–5 Japan Gamba Osaka 0–3 at Osaka Expo '70 Stadium
0–2 at Hindmarsh Stadium
Melbourne Victory 2nd in group stage – Thailand Chonburi, South Korea Chunnam Dragons, Japan Gamba Osaka
2009 Central Coast Mariners 4th in group stage – Japan Kawasaki Frontale, South Korea Pohang Steelers, China Tianjin Teda
Newcastle Jets Round of 16 0–6 South Korea Pohang Steelers Pohang Steel Yard
2010 Adelaide United Round of 16 2–3 (a.e.t.) South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Hindmarsh Stadium
Melbourne Victory 4th in group stage – China Beijing Guoan, Japan Kawasaki Frontale, South Korea Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
2011 Melbourne Victory 4th in group stage – Japan Gamba Osaka, South Korea Jeju United, China Tianjin Teda
Sydney FC 3rd in group stage – Japan Kashima Antlers, China Shanghai Shenua, South Korea Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2012 Adelaide United Quarterfinals 4–5 Uzbekistan Bunyodkor 2–2 at Hindmarsh Stadium
2–3 (a.e.t.) at JAR Stadium
Brisbane Roar 3rd in group stage – China Beijing Guoan, Japan FC Tokyo, South Korea Ulsan Hyundai
Central Coast Mariners 3rd in group stage – Japan Nagoya Grampus, South Korea Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, China Tianjin Teda
2013 Brisbane Roar Qualifying play-off 0–0 (a.e.t.) (0–3 p) Thailand Buriram United Buriram Stadium
Central Coast Mariners Round of 16 1–5 China Guangzhou Evergrande 1–2 at Central Coast Stadium
0–3 at Tianhe Stadium
2014 Central Coast Mariners 4th in group stage – China Beijing Guoan, South Korea FC Seoul, Japan Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Melbourne Victory 3rd in group stage – China Guangzhou Evergrande, South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Japan Yokohama F. Marinos
Western Sydney Wanderers Winners 1–0 Saudi Arabia Al Hilal 1–0 at Parramatta Stadium
0–0 at King Fahd International Stadium
2015 Brisbane Roar 3rd in group stage – China Beijing Guoan, South Korea Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Japan Urawa Red Diamonds
Central Coast Mariners Qualifying play-off 1–3 China Guangzhou R&F Central Coast Stadium
Western Sydney Wanderers 3rd in group stage – South Korea FC Seoul, China Guangzhou Evergrande, Japan Kashima Antlers
2016 Adelaide United Qualifying play-off 1–2 China Shandong Luneng Hindmarsh Stadium
Melbourne Victory Round of 16 2–3 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1–1 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
1–2 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium
Sydney FC Round of 16 3–3 (a) China Shandong Luneng 1–1 at Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium
2–2 at Sydney Football Stadium
2017 Adelaide United 3rd in group stage – Japan Gamba Osaka, South Korea Jeju United, China Jiangsu Suning
Brisbane Roar 4th in group stage – Japan Kashima Antlers, Thailand Muangthong United, South Korea Ulsan Hyundai
Western Sydney Wanderers 4th in group stage – South Korea FC Seoul, China Shanghai SIPG, Japan Urawa Red Diamonds
2018 Brisbane Roar Preliminary round 2 2–3 Philippines Ceres-Negros Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre
Melbourne Victory 3rd in group stage – Japan Kawasaki Frontale, China Shanghai SIPG, South Korea Ulsan Hyundai
Sydney FC 3rd in group stage – Japan Kashima Antlers, China Shanghai Shenua, South Korea Suwon Samsung Bluewings
2019 Melbourne Victory 4th in group stage – South Korea Daegu, China Guangzhou Evergrande, Japan Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Newcastle Jets Qualifying play-off 1–4 Japan Kashima Antlers Kashima Soccer Stadium
Sydney FC 4th in group stage – Japan Kawasaki Frontale, China Shanghai SIPG, South Korea Ulsan Hyundai
2020 Melbourne Victory Round of 16 0–3 South Korea Ulsan Hyundai Education City Stadium
Perth Glory 4th in group stage – Japan FC Tokyo, China Shanghai Shenhua, South Korea Ulsan Hyundai
Sydney FC 4th in group stage – South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, China Shanghai SIPG, Japan Yokohama F. Marinos
2022 Melbourne Victory Qualifying play-off 3–4 (a.e.t.) Japan Vissel Kobe Noevir Stadium Kobe
Melbourne City 2nd in group stage – Thailand BG Pathum United, South KoreaJeonnam Dragons, Philippines United City
Sydney FC 4th in group stage – Vietnam Hoang Anh Gia Lai, South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Japan 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 Lebanon Al Ahed Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman
Macarthur FC Zonal final 2–3 (a.e.t.) Australia 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) New Zealand University-Mount Wellington Hindmarsh Stadium
1999 South Melbourne Winners 5–1 Fiji Nadi Prince Charles Park
2001 Wollongong Wolves Winners 1–0 Vanuatu Tafea Lloyd Robson Stadium
2005 Sydney FC Winners 2–0 New Caledonia 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 New Zealand 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 England Manchester United, Mexico Necaxa, Brazil Vasco da Gama Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2005 Sydney FC 5th 2–1 Egypt Al Ahly National Stadium. Tokyo, Japan
2008 Adelaide United 5th 1–0 Egypt Al Ahly International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan
2014 Western Sydney Wanderers 6th 2–2 (4–5 p) Algeria 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 United States 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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