AFC Champions League Two 2025–26 Final — Match Report
Al Nassr 0–1 Gamba Osaka | May 17, 2026 | Al Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
A Miracle Born from Adversity
The 2026 season started as badly as possible for Gamba Osaka.
During pre-season camp, Asahi Uenaka picked up an injury. In the opening match, Takashi Usami went off hurt. In the second round, both Shogo Sasaki and Shota Fukuoka followed him to the treatment room. Then key defender Riku Handa suffered a serious injury. It felt like the squad was falling apart before the season had even started.
But the team did not break. Under their young head coach, Jens Wissing — only five months into the job — the players came together. And in the end, they lifted the trophy of the AFC Champions League Two (Asia’s second-tier continental club competition, organised by the Asian Football Confederation).
Starting Line-ups
Gamba Osaka lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Rui Araki started in goal. The back four, from right to left, was Takeru Kishimoto, Shinnosuke Nakatani, Genta Miura, and Ryo Hatsuse. Two defensive midfielders — players who sit in front of the defence and protect it — were Rin Mito and Tokuma Suzuki. Ryotaro Meshino started on the right wing and Ryoya Yamashita on the left. Issam Jebali played as the attacking midfielder (the player linking midfield and attack), with Deniz Hümmet as the lone striker up front.
Al Nassr fielded a world-class squad featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané, and João Félix. Brazilian international Bento started in goal. Spain international Iñigo Martínez was part of the defensive line.
Match Report
First Half: Defending Well, Then Striking at the Right Moment
In the early part of the first half, Gamba kept the ball and worked play into Al Nassr’s half. However, they could not find the net. Al Nassr gradually took control of the game, and Gamba spent more time defending in a compact block.
Then, on 30 minutes, the moment arrived.
Jebali played a perfectly timed through ball. Hümmet received it and calmly placed his right-foot shot into the bottom-right corner. Gamba had the lead they had been waiting for.
Al Nassr kept firing in powerful shots, but none of them hit the target. Gamba went into half-time leading 1–0.
Second Half: Five Substitutions to Hold the Lead
As the second half began, Wissing made his first change. He withdrew goalscorer Hümmet and brought on Harumi Minamino.
Al Nassr kept pressing throughout the second half. Gamba relied on the counter-attack — winning the ball quickly and pushing forward at pace — to relieve the pressure and create danger.
On 60 minutes, Suzuki and Yamashita came off, replaced by Shuto Abe and Kanji Okunuki.
On 70 minutes, Meshino came off and Welton came on.
On 80 minutes, Jebali went off with an injury. Takashi Usami came on as the attacking midfielder, completing all five substitutions allowed in the match.
There were six minutes of stoppage time in the second half. Gamba used their corner kicks smartly to run down the clock. And then the final whistle blew. The players erupted in celebration. This was the club’s 10th title in its history — won far away in Riyadh.
Tournament MVP: Issam Jebali
The AFC Champions League Two 2025–26 Most Valuable Player award went to Issam Jebali.
He was the heart of the attack throughout the knockout stage — the phase of the tournament where teams are eliminated after a single defeat. In the final, he topped it all off with the decisive assist. Wissing’s decision to move him into the attacking midfielder role paid off in the best possible way.
Man of the Match
Honestly, every single player on this team deserves a mention today. But if we have to choose one name, goalkeeper Rui Araki is the clear candidate.
Ronaldo hit the post at one point. Araki made save after save to keep Al Nassr out and give his team the win.
Of course, there are other worthy candidates too. Hümmet, who scored the only goal. Jebali, whose pass led directly to it. And Nakatani and Miura, who threw themselves in front of shot after shot throughout the match.
The Unsung Hero: Masaaki Higashiguchi
Araki guarded the goal in the final, but there is someone who must not be forgotten: club legend and goalkeeper Masaaki Higashiguchi.
He started in goal for every match except the final. He kept Gamba in the competition with consistent, reliable performances all the way to the final. When the final came, he accepted a place on the bench — and every player in that dressing room understood how much he had contributed. Without him, this trophy does not exist.
The Season’s Greatest Contributor
Looking across the whole season, the single biggest reason for this success is head coach Jens Wissing.
Five months into the job, he has delivered Gamba Osaka’s first title in 11 years. His most important tactical move was converting Jebali into an attacking midfielder.
When Usami’s injury left him without a natural player in that position, Wissing turned to Jebali — a player who had struggled to settle into a clear role in previous seasons. The decision worked perfectly. Jebali became the team’s creative hub and delivered the crucial assist in tonight’s final. The club’s decision to appoint Wissing has been proved completely right.
To the Away Supporters in Blue and Black
Amid an unsettled situation in the Middle East, some Gamba Osaka supporters still made the long journey to Riyadh. They deserve the highest respect.
Gamba Osaka is nothing without its supporters. They, alongside the players and the manager, are part of what made this title happen.
A Night Written into Club History
Gamba Osaka’s last Asian title came in 2008, when they won the AFC Champions League — Asia’s top continental club competition. Tonight’s AFC Champions League Two victory is the club’s first Asian trophy in 18 years.
Their most recent domestic title was the 2015 Emperor’s Cup — Japan’s most historic national knockout cup competition, which is open to every club in the country, from J1 League professionals down to amateur sides. Wissing has ended an 11-year wait for silverware.
Injuries hit Gamba hard throughout 2026. Yet the team stayed together and climbed to the top of Asia. That scoreline — 1–0 — will not look spectacular in the history books. But everyone who watched knows exactly what it took. This victory in Riyadh is now part of Gamba Osaka’s story forever.
Glossary for first-time J-League fans:
- AFC Champions League Two → Asia’s second-tier continental club competition (below the AFC Champions League Elite)
- Knockout stage → The part of a tournament where teams are eliminated after one loss (also called the knock-out round or playoff round)
- Defensive midfielder → A central midfielder whose main job is to protect the defence and win the ball back
- Attacking midfielder → A central player who operates between midfield and the strikers, creating chances
- Lone striker → A single centre-forward playing at the top of the team’s attacking shape
- Counter-attack → Moving quickly from defence to attack right after winning the ball
- Emperor’s Cup → Japan’s most historic national knockout cup competition, open to all clubs from top professionals to amateur teams
- J1 League → Japan’s top professional football division