FIFA’s decision to remove James Rodriguez’s Club Leon from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup came as a shock—especially given how far in advance it was made. Now, with one spot vacant, the governing body reportedly has two leading candidates to take the Mexican club’s place in the tournament.
Club Leon was disqualified after failing to provide sufficient evidence to refute its link to Grupo Pachuca, which also owns fellow Liga MX side Pachuca CF. That connection violated FIFA’s rules on multi-club ownership. León had been placed in Group D alongside Brazil’s Flamengo, Tunisia’s Esperance Sportive de Tunis, and England’s Chelsea FC.
Even team star James Rodriguez publicly criticized FIFA’s handling of the situation in a press conference, saying: “It’s not fair to anyone—to the entire club that has achieved great things. And especially to all the people who’ve spent money; fans who went into debt just to be able to go… I believe there’s a big interest in making sure someone else is there. I think FIFA needs to step up. I have doubts, I really do.”
Despite winning the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup to earn their spot, Club Leon now appears unlikely to participate, as FIFA seems firm in its decision. With that, two clubs have emerged as the frontrunners to step in.
LAFC and Club America reportedly in contention to replace Club Leon
According to ESPN, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC and Liga MX’s Club América are the two main candidates to replace Club Leon in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. While no final decision has been made, FIFA is reportedly considering a head-to-head playoff between the two teams to determine who gets the spot.
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The official announcement will likely come after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules on Club Leon’s appeal, with a resolution expected by April 23. Only after that will FIFA confirm whether the playoff will take place.
As ESPN reports, FIFA also released a statement explaining why LAFC and Club América are being considered: “LAFC would participate as runner-up to Club Leon in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League through which Club Leon had qualified. Club America would participate as the top-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup confederation ranking through which qualification is also determined.
“The winner of the play-off would qualify unless legal proceedings rule otherwise,” the statement ended. With the Club World Cup scheduled to kick off on June 15, questions remain not only about who will replace Club Leon—but whether the Mexican club will be officially expelled at all, pending the CAS decision.
