Playoff match scheduled for the Club World Cup following Club León’s exclusion
FIFA has confirmed that a playoff match will be organized to determine which team will secure the vacant spot in the upcoming Club World Cup, scheduled to take place in the United States next June. This decision follows the disqualification of Club León, the champion of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League.
According to The Guardian, FIFA is currently considering two options to fill this position: either Los Angeles FC (USA) or Club América (Mexico). However, the candidacy of the Costa Rican club Alajuelense has been rejected, as it was the entity that lodged the complaint in 2024 that ultimately led to Club León’s exclusion.
Club León was disqualified due to regulations regarding club ownership, as it belongs to the investment group “Grupo Pachuca,” which also owns CF Pachuca, another club participating in the competition. This situation prompted Alajuelense to file a complaint with FIFA in November 2024, which was later taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in January, resulting in the validation of Club León’s exclusion.
In response to this decision, James Rodríguez, the captain of Club León, along with coach Eduardo Berizzo, expressed their disagreement and called on FIFA to reconsider the exclusion. Meanwhile, Grupo Pachuca announced its intention to appeal to CAS next month.
It is worth noting that the match between Chelsea and León was originally scheduled for June 16 in Atlanta. The Chelsea group also includes Flamengo (Brazil) and Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia).
