Club León Excluded From 2025 Club World Cup After CAS Ruling

Club León has been officially excluded from the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld FIFA's ruling that León and Pachuca, both owned by Grupo Pachuca, violated tournament regulations prohibiting multi-club ownership. León's attempts to resolve the conflict, including placing the club in a trust, were deemed insufficient by CAS, and their appeal for reinstatement was rejected. Pachuca remains eligible to compete, while León expressed frustration at the decision, criticizing the process and its impact on fans and players. The exclusion opens up a final tournament spot, to be determined by a play-off match between Los Angeles FC (LAFC) and Club América, with the winner joining Group D alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and ES Tunis. Costa Rican club Alajuelense's appeal to replace León was also dismissed, leaving FIFA to organize the play-off. This case underscores the ongoing challenges of enforcing ownership regulations in international football and their significant competitive consequences.