Mexican professional soccer club León has been expelled from the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup due to ownership violations, leaving one coveted tournament spot up for grabs.
Soccer’s world governing body is now considering a high-stakes playoff between Liga MX powerhouse Club América of Mexico City and Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC to determine León’s replacement.
The Club World Cup — which includes the best teams from soccer leagues around the world rather than national squads — is the largely unheralded cousin of the fervor-laden men’s and women’s World Cups staged every four years.
This summer, the Club World Cup will be held in the United States, with FIFA sweating bullets that it won’t be able to put on a good show ahead of the 2026 World Cup that’s being cohosted by Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
Marquee teams such Real Madrid of Spain, Manchester City and Chelsea of England, Bayern Munich of Germany and Inter Milan of Italy are among the 32 teams that have qualified. So are lesser lights, such as Auckland City of New Zealand and Wydad of Morocco.
But in a looming embarrassment for FIFA, not only do tickets remain available for every match with fewer than 100 days to go, but many of the large NFL stadiums being used are showing large swaths of unsold seats. Moreover, with so many league games, team competitions and national matchups blanketing the calendar year-round, there is concern over soccer burnout.
A last-minute qualifying clash between Club América and Los Angeles FC could generate publicity and momentum heading into the group-stage matches beginning on June 15.
The championship is set for July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Club León earned its spot by winning the 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup, a competition for the best teams playing in leagues in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
However, León was later disqualified from playing in the Club World Cup because it shares ownership with Pachuca, another Liga MX team that had already qualified by winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2024. Both clubs are owned by Grupo Pachuca, violating FIFA regulations that prohibit one entity from controlling multiple teams in the same competition.
Despite Grupo Pachuca’s claims that León and Pachuca operate independently, and a statement by the ownership that León was being put up for sale to comply with FIFA rules, FIFA’s judges upheld the expulsion.
After it was announced last week that Club León got the boot, Grupo Pachuca said it would further argue its case in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Madrid on April 23.
“We are dissatisfied with this decision and will appeal it to the fullest extent possible,” the group said in a statement. “We will defend what was won on the field.”
Costa Rican club Alajuelense, which initially filed the multiownership complaints against León, is also pursuing a CAS case, arguing it deserves the open spot based on regional rankings.
The potential play-in game — likely to be held in Southern California — pits Los Angeles FC (LAFC), runners-up to León in the 2023 CONCACAF final, against Club América, the highest-ranked team in FIFA’s regional club rankings not already qualified. The victor would also get US $9.55 million awarded by FIFA to teams that qualify from CONCACAF.
“It would be a privilege to compete,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “We’ll figure out logistics when the time comes.”
With celebrity owners like Will Ferrell and Magic Johnson, an electric atmosphere at its stadium and star players such as Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, LAFC is one of MLS’s glamour clubs and a symbol of North American soccer’s growing influence.
Club América, meanwhile, recently completed a Liga MX three-peat, has accumulated 51 regional trophies over the years and is one of the strongest soccer brands in the Western Hemisphere. Its iconic Estadio Azteca is going to host the opening ceremony and first game of the 2026 World Cup.
According to team documents, Club América boasts 45 million global fans, with 15 million in Southern California alone. Its massive U.S. fan base would also bring significant star power to the upgraded and expanded tournament.
The Club World Cup began in 2000 when eight regional champions faced off against each other in a knockout tournament in Brazil.
This year, for the first time, there will be a group stage followed by knockout rounds, and the competition will run for a month — much like the “regular” World Cup. In all, there will be 63 games, compared to 16 in the 2000 tourney.
Two Mexican teams are already among the 32 qualifiers: CF Pachuca, by virtue of winning the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup; and CF Monterrey, which punched its ticket by winning the 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup final.
Pachuca is in Group H with FC Salzburg (Austria), Real Madrid (Spain) and Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia). Monterrey is in Group E with River Plate (Argentina), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) and Internazionale Milano (Italy).
The winner of an América-LAFC match would be in Group D along with Chelsea (England), CR Flamengo (Brazil) and Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia).
With reports from The Guardian, BBC, Associated Press and The Athletic
