The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has officially rejected Club León’s appeal to be reinstated in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, ending the Mexican club’s bid to overturn their disqualification for violating multi-club ownership regulations.
León, who are part of Grupo Pachuca, were ruled ineligible by FIFA due to their affiliation with CF Pachuca, another club from the same ownership group already confirmed for the tournament. Despite León’s argument that their operations had been transferred to a blind trust to avoid a conflict of interest, CAS ruled that the move was insufficient to meet FIFA’s regulatory standards.
Costa Rican side Alajuelense, who initially raised concerns over the Pachuca-León dual ownership and hoped to be awarded the vacant slot, have also had their appeal rejected, confirming that the spot will not go to them directly.
With CAS closing the door on both León and Alajuelense, FIFA has now ordered a high-stakes play-off match between Club América and Los Angeles FC to determine who secures the final place in Group D of the Club World Cup.
- LAFC were chosen due to their status as 2023 CONCACAF Champions League runners-up, having lost to León.
- Club América qualify based on their position atop the CONCACAF coefficient rankings over the relevant four-year period.
The winner of the play-off will join Chelsea (UEFA), Flamengo (CONMEBOL), and ES Tunis (CAF) in Group D.
The victor will earn a guaranteed prize of $9.55 million, with an additional $2 million for each group stage win, along with escalating rewards in the knockout rounds.
FIFA is expected to confirm the date and venue of the play-off match soon, having delayed the announcement pending CAS’ ruling. The decision now paves the way for final preparations ahead of what will be the most commercially lucrative and expanded edition of the FIFA Club World Cup to date.
Credit Photo : IMAG07
