CAS Upholds FIFA Decision: Club León Excluded from 2025 Club World Cup Over Ownership Rules

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld FIFA’s decision to exclude Club León from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup due to violations of multi-club ownership regulations. León and Mexican club Pachuca are both owned by Grupo Pachuca, which violates Article 10.1 of the tournament’s rules. It prohibit multiple clubs under the same ownership from participating to maintain competitive integrity.   

Image: FIFA

León had earned their place in the tournament by winning the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup. However, their appeal to CAS, which included presenting a trust structure intended to demonstrate operational independence from Pachuca, was rejected. The CAS panel concluded that the measures taken were insufficient to comply with FIFA’s regulations.   

Image: Getty Images

As a result, FIFA announced that León’s place in Group D—alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and Espérance de Tunis—will be determined by a playoff match between Los Angeles FC (LAFC) and Club América. LAFC, the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup runners-up, and Club América, the top-ranked CONCACAF team not already qualified, will compete on May 31 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. 

The winner of this playoff will face Chelsea in their opening match on June 16 in Atlanta.