Just 85 days before the Club World Cup kicks off in the United States, a change has been made to the lineup. Club Leon from Mexico has been banned from participating in the tournament due to FIFA’s rules about multi-club ownership.
Both Club Leon and Pachuca are owned by the same company, Pachuca Group. Although there were plans to sell Leon to avoid this conflict, the sale wasn’t completed in time to satisfy FIFA regulations.
FIFA stated that Club Leon will be removed from the competition and that a replacement team will be announced at a later date.
Leon had been preparing for the tournament and even signed well-known player James Rodriguez. However, as it stands now, they will not be able to compete.
Costa Rican team Alajuelense had previously threatened FIFA with legal action if they weren’t included in the Club World Cup instead of a Mexican team with the same ownership issues. Now, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under pressure to quickly find a replacement team for Leon.
The United States already has Inter Miami in the tournament as the host nation representative. FIFA will need to establish criteria for choosing Leon’s replacement, as many clubs, such as Columbus Crew, who were runners-up in the Concacaf Champions Cup, may feel they deserve the spot. Pachuca is still expected to participate in the tournament, which is scheduled from June 14 to July 13.
Dominic Ashworth