Mexican side Club Leon will not participate in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected their appeal against FIFA’s decision to remove them from the tournament. The ruling, announced on Tuesday, upholds FIFA’s stance that Leon breached ownership rules for the expanded 32-team competition, scheduled to take place in the United States from June 14th to July 13th, 2025.
Club Leon had secured their spot in the prestigious tournament by winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2023. However, FIFA disqualified them due to regulations preventing clubs under the same ownership from participating in the same competition. Leon and fellow Mexican club Pachuca, who also qualified for the Club World Cup, are both owned by Grupo Pachuca.
In a statement released by Club Leon, the club expressed their profound disappointment, stating, “This is the greatest damage done to a team that has always competed with humility and honesty. The only thing left for us is to win again to regain the place on the field that was taken from us. Have no doubt, as long as no one prevents us from doing so again, we will do it.”
The CAS ruling, which followed a hearing on Monday, confirmed FIFA’s decision, stating that both Leon and Pachuca failed to meet the criteria regarding multiple club ownership as outlined in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 regulations. The panel concluded that a trust set up by Leon’s owners was insufficient to comply with these regulations. A separate appeal by Costa Rican club Alajuelense to take Leon’s place was also rejected by CAS.
Following the CAS decision, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has indicated that the governing body will proceed with plans to organize a playoff match between Los Angeles FC (LAFC) from Major League Soccer and Club America from Mexico’s Liga MX to determine who will fill the vacant spot in the Club World Cup. LAFC were the runners-up in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, while Club America are the highest-ranked team from the CONCACAF region based on their performances over the past four years.
FIFA’s Club World Cup regulations stipulate that no individual or legal entity can have control or influence over more than one participating club. This rule aims to protect the integrity of the tournament and prevent potential conflicts of interest. The expanded Club World Cup will feature 32 teams from across the globe, competing for a substantial prize pool of $1 billion. Club Leon had been drawn in Group D alongside Chelsea, Esperance de Tunis, and Flamengo. FIFA will now need to finalize the details of the playoff match to complete the tournament’s lineup.
