León’s Replacement to Be Decided on the Field

The last available spot for the 2025 Club World Cup will be awarded to the winner of a single-leg match between Los Angeles FC (runner-up of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup) and Club América (the best-ranked team in the CONCACAF standings after the 2024 edition). The game’s date, time, and venue will be announced at a later time.

This decision comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the appeals filed by Club León, Pachuca, and Liga Deportiva Alajuelense. In an official statement, FIFA welcomed the CAS ruling and confirmed that the replacement for León would be determined in accordance with the applicable tournament regulations.

CAS Rejects Appeals from León, Pachuca, and Alajuelense

According to CAS, both León and Pachuca violated Article 10.1 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 regulations, which prohibit multi-club ownership. Although the Grupo Pachuca attempted to prove that Club León operated independently through a trust, the tribunal found that this mechanism failed to meet the criteria. As a result, León remains excluded from the competition, while Pachuca retains its qualification.

Meanwhile, Alajuelense's separate appeal, which claimed that the Costa Rican club deserved a spot as the highest-ranked CONCACAF team excluding Mexican and MLS clubs, was also denied. CAS found no valid legal basis to grant the team entry into the tournament.

Group D Awaits the Winner

The winner between Los Angeles FC and Club América will join Group D in the Club World Cup, alongside Flamengo (Brazil), Espérance (Tunisia), and Chelsea (England).

With this ruling, FIFA closes the chapter on the eligibility dispute and prepares to finalize the full list of 32 teams for the debut edition of the FIFA Club World Cup under its new format.