FIFA plans to have an eliminatory match between the LAFC and the American club for the right to participate in the World Cup of FIFA 2025, a spokesperson confirmed to Athletics Sunday.
The qualifier of the playoffs would replace the Léon club, that FIFA Retired from the tournament on March 21, less than three months before its start in June. The Director of World Football Director said that Léon had not met his criteria on multi-club property. The club belongs to the majority by Grupo Pachuca, who also controls Pachuca, Liga MX colleague, who is a participant in the Club World Cup after his 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup victory.
“LAFC would participate as a finalist of the Léon club in the CONCACAF 2023 Champions League through which the Léon club had qualified,” said the spokesperson. “The club is injured as the best classified team in the FIFA World Cup Confederation’s Confederation of the World Cup in which the qualification is also determined. The winner of the playoffs would qualify unless the rule of legal proceedings is otherwise.
Lafc refused to comment when he was asked for the potential plan.
Léon was one of the four Concacaf clubs to qualify for the tournament in the United States after his victory for the Champions Cup in 2023.
But FIFA regulations indicate that “No individual or legal entity can have control or influence on more than one club participating in the competition.”
In FIFA’s decision, Léon said in a statement: “We have presented all the evidence and documents confirming that the Léon club is managed independently in all economic, administrative and sporting aspects.”
Grupo Pachuca, on the other hand, said: “We will appeal until his last instance and in the highest sports court.”
The replacement of Léon will be in group D of the Club World Cup. He will face the Premier League Chelsea team, the Tunis of Tunisia and on the Brazilian side Flamengo in the group phases.
The move of Léon came after the Costa Rican part Alajuesense was officially complained of FIFA and asked the body to implement rules concerning multi-club property. In a club press release, Alajunces said he was willing to bring the case to the Sport Arbitration Court (CAS) if measures had not been taken.
Alajuense published another statement in February which said that it had filed an official complaint in the event “following the FIFA failure to act”. Case confirmed to the BBC that a “arbitration procedure (had) had been launched”.
The first club World Cup begins on June 14 and the final will take place at the Metlife Stadium on July 13.
(Photo: Brennan Asplen / Getty Images)
