In January 2025, South Korea and Vietnam were originally considered as possible options to be the hosts.[2][3][4] The next month, PNVF announced that Philippines will be the official host team of the tournament.[5]
As hosts, the Philippines is entitled to enter two teams.[7] The host was later granted a wild card slot to field a third team, in replace of Japan's withdrawal from the tournament.[8][9][6] The following teams are expected to take part in the tournament.
With the rebranded tournament, each team can now have a maximum of three foreign players in its roster that can play at any time. Previously teams can only have two foreign players and only one of which can play at a time.[11][12]
For the first time since the 2016 edition, the teams will be split into four pools with three teams each.[13] The draw of lots took place at The Grand Fourwings Hotel Bangkok on 12 March 2025.[7][14][15]
Teams were seeded in the first position of each pool following the serpentine system according to their FIVB Senior World Rankings as of 8 January 2025. All teams not seeded were drawn to take other available positions in the remaining lines, following the World Ranking. The host's two teams and the top two countries are automatically seeded as the first teams of the four pools. As the Philippines have fielded a third team as a (wild card), it will be in the pot in accordance with the country's current FIVB ranking.[16]
Total number of victories (matches won, matches lost)
In the event of a tie, the following first tiebreaker will apply: The teams will be ranked by the most point gained per match as follows:
Match won 3–0 or 3–1: 3 points for the winner, 0 points for the loser
Match won 3–2: 2 points for the winner, 1 point for the loser
Match forfeited: 3 points for the winner, 0 points (0–25, 0–25, 0–25) for the loser
If teams are still tied after examining the number of victories and points gained, then the AVC will examine the results in order to break the tie in the following order:
Set quotient: if two or more teams are tied on the number of points gained, they will be ranked by the quotient resulting from the division of the number of all set won by the number of all sets lost.
Points quotient: if the tie persists based on the set quotient, the teams will be ranked by the quotient resulting from the division of all points scored by the total of points lost during all sets.
If the tie persists based on the point quotient, the tie will be broken based on the team that won the match of the Round Robin Phase between the tied teams. When the tie in point quotient is between three or more teams, these teams ranked taking into consideration only the matches involving the teams in question.
^Japan was supposed to send the 2023–24 V.League 1 champions, NEC Red Rockets to participate in the tournament, but later confirmed that they withdrew from the tournament due to scheduling conflicts with the ongoing 2024–25 SV.League.[6]
^Zhetysu qualified by winning the Kazakhstan Super Cup for that season.[10]
^ abAs the 2024–25 PVL All-Filipino Conference is still ongoing days before the date of the draw, the league decided to field the top 2 teams in the preliminary round — Creamline and Petro Gazz.[7]
^Even if the hosts are only entitled with two teams, they are later granted another wildcard slot in place of Japan's withdrawal from the tournament. PVL announced on the draw date that PLDT would be the Philippines' third representative.[8][6]
^ abThe identity of the team from Iran was yet to be determined at the time of the draw.
^จับสลาก AVC Champions League 2025 [Drawing Lottery AVC Champions League 2025] (video). Thailand: V.W.A SPORT WORLD. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
Australia
Jordan
Creamline Cool Smashers (52) (H-A) 
Beijing BAIC Motor (5) 
Nakhon Ratchasima QminC (13)
Zhetysu (31) 
VTV Bình Điền Long An (32) 
TaiPower (45) 
Saipa Tehran[e] (57) 
Hip Hing (60) 
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