Speculation has surrounded the possibility of both teams from Grupo Pachuca, Club Leon and Pachuca CF, being excluded from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Now, FIFA has made a decisive move, formally announcing the exclusion of James Rodriguez‘s side just three months before the competition.
On Friday, FIFA officially informed that Club Leon would be removed from the upcoming Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States. The main reason behind the decision, as explained in FIFA’s statement, is the clubs’ inability to provide sufficient evidence to refute allegations of multi-club ownership.
“FIFA has determined that Club Leon will be removed from the competition, with the club to be admitted as a replacement to be announced in due course,” read one of the lines of the official statement released by FIFA on Friday.
Club Leon qualified for the competition after winning the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup against LAFC. However, following a complaint lodged by Costa Rican side Liga Deportiva Alajuelense in 2024, FIFA has now excluded one of the teams owned by Grupo Pachuca.
Club Leon’s response to FIFA
Immediately following the notification of their potential exclusion, FIFA officially confirmed Club Leon’s removal. In response to FIFA’s claims and official statement, the Mexican club has released a public statement expressing its intention to fight the decision:
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“Club Leon has complied at all times with the corresponding processes, submitting to all the required evaluations, hearings, and investigations in recent months, providing all the documentation requested by FIFA with complete timeliness and transparency,” read the club’s statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“We are an independent, autonomous, and sovereign team. There should be no doubt about that. Club Leon will appeal this decision at all instances and we will go to the furthest extent to defend the spot earned in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup,” the statement concluded.
Club Leon was placed in Group D of the Club World Cup alongside Chelsea, Esperance de Tunis, and Flamengo. Despite FIFA’s decision appearing final, Club Leon remains determined to participate in the competition, which is set to begin on June 14.
