2025-26 AFC Women’s Champions League: Why Suwon is the Must-Watch Venue for the Semifinals

Photo provided by the Korea Football Association

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young] The Asian Football Confederation has officially selected Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, as the host city for the semifinals and final of the 2025–26 AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL), scheduled for this May.

On the afternoon of March 30, the Korea Football Association announced that the AFC confirmed Suwon as the site for the AWCL finale. Matches will be staged at the Suwon Sports Complex, the home ground of semifinalist Suwon FC Women.

The Korea FA submitted a letter of intent to host in January, but regulations required that a club from the association reach the semifinals for hosting rights to be valid.

That condition was met on March 29, when Suwon FC Women beat defending champion Wuhan Jiangda 4-0 in the quarterfinals in Wuhan, China. Goals from Ji So-yeon and Kim Hye-ri helped secure the win and the semifinal berth — and with it, the right to host the final stages.

The host club will take the field in a high-profile semifinal on May 20 at 7:00 p.m., when Suwon FC Women face North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s Football Club in a North–South showdown likely to draw significant attention.

Earlier that same day at 2:00 p.m., Melbourne City of Australia and Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan will meet for the other final berth. The championship match is set for May 23.

This is the second edition of the AFC Women’s Champions League, launched last year as part of a global push to grow the women’s game.

The tournament brings together domestic champions from across Asia. Mirroring the men’s AFC Champions League — which held its elite final stage (quarterfinals through final) at a single host site in Saudi Arabia — the women’s competition will stage its semifinals and final at one venue.

Prize money stands at 1 million USD (approximately 1.33 billion KRW) for the champion and 500,000 USD (approximately 666.67 million KRW) for the runner-up.

The Korea FA last hosted the competition’s predecessor, a pilot tournament, in Yongin in 2019. This marks the first time in seven years that South Korea will host a tournament to crown Asia’s top women’s club.

Organizers expect the event to re-energize interest in women’s football and boost the WK League’s international profile.

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
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