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Club Leon will not take part in the highly anticipated 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after losing an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding a breach of FIFA’s multi-club ownership rules. The Mexican club, which qualified for the tournament by winning the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, is owned by Grupo Pachuca; the same ownership group that controls CF Pachuca. FIFA prohibits more than one club under the same ownership from competing in the tournament, triggering an investigation and eventual disqualification.
Leon attempted to resolve the issue by establishing a trust to manage the club independently for the duration of the tournament. However, FIFA ruled that the solution did not meet the criteria necessary to ensure full compliance with its ownership regulations. Leon appealed to CAS in an effort to overturn the decision, but the court ultimately sided with FIFA, stating that the measures taken were insufficient to avoid a conflict of interest. This marks a significant and rare instance of a qualified team being removed from the Club World Cup for regulatory reasons.
Los Angeles FC and Club America to compete in playoff match to secure Club World Cup spot
The disqualification is a major setback for the club and its players, including Colombian international James Rodríguez, who joined Leon partly due to the chance to compete on the world stage. FIFA has now confirmed that Leon will be replaced through a playoff match between Los Angeles FC and Club America, which will take place on May 31 at BMO Field in Toronto. The winner of this match will take Leon’s spot in Group D of the tournament, alongside European giants Chelsea, South American champions Flamengo, and Tunisian club ES Tunis.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is set to be the largest in the tournament's history, featuring 32 clubs from around the world in a format similar to the FIFA World Cup. It will be hosted by the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025. Teams from six confederations will participate, including champions from the UEFA Champions League, Copa Libertadores, and CONCACAF Champions League.
