The 2021 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs was played from 7 April to 23 June 2021.[1] A total of 15 teams compete in the qualifying play-offs to decide seven of the 40 places in the group stage of the 2021 AFC Champions League.[2]
In the qualifying play-offs, each tie is played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out are used to decide the winner if necessary.[2]
Schedule[]
The schedule of each round is as follows.[1][5][6] On 11 March 2021, the AFC announced that the preliminary round and play-off round matches in the East Region, which were originally scheduled to be played on 7 April and 14 April 2021, had been postponed to June/July 2021, and will be played in centralised venues of their respective group stage matches.[7]
Round
West Region
East Region
Preliminary round
Not played
Play-off round
7 and 10 April 2021
23 June 2021
Bracket[]
The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined based on each team's association ranking and their seeding within their association, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match in the West Region. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie. The eight winners of the play-off round (four each from both West Region and East Region) will advance to the group stage to join the 32 direct entrants.[8]
^Shandong Taishan, which were originally entered as China 2, had not satisfied the mandatory Criterion F.04 of the AFC Club Licensing Regulations (Edition 2016) concerning overdue payables. Thus, its license was withdrawn by the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) independent Entry Control Body, and thus Beijing Guoan were reallocated from China 4 to China 3 (moving from play-off round to group position I2), and Shanghai Port were entered as China 4 (play-off round).[3][4]
^ abcdeShan United withdrew from the AFC Champions League following the state of emergency in Myanmar and Melbourne City would enter the play-off round instead of the preliminary round.[11]Later Melbourne City FC also withrew, along the other Australian teams,[9] thus their opponent Cerezo Osaka entered the group stage.[10]
AGMK advanced to Group A.
Al-Gharafa
AGMK (a.e.t.)
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya advanced to Group B.
Al-Wehda
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (p)
Foolad advanced to Group D.
Foolad
Al-Ain
Al-Wahda advanced to Group E.
Kaya–Iloilo advanced to Group F.
Shanghai Port
Brisbane Roar (w/o)
Kaya–Iloilo
Cerezo Osaka advanced to Group J after Shan United and Melbourne City withdrew from the competition.
Cerezo Osaka (w/o)
Shan United
Pohang Steelers and 
Ratchaburi Mitr Phol advanced to Group G after Jiangsu ceased operation.
Pohang Steelers
Ratchaburi Mitr Phol
