The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that Club León will not participate in the 2025 Club World Cup due to violations of regulations regarding multiple ownership of football teams. Both León and CF Pachuca belong to the Pachuca Group, which is prohibited under regulations against multiple ownership.
The CAS examined the evidence presented, including a trust established by the owners of Club León, and determined it was insufficient to comply with the regulations. As a result, it was decided that only CF Pachuca would participate in the Club World Cup, despite both teams having won the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Upon learning of this decision, Club León issued a statement expressing its disagreement with the CAS ruling, calling it severe and alleging they were defamed. The club stated that both fans and players deserved more respect and claimed to have been victims of a defamation campaign.
Club León affirmed that they will focus on winning to be able to return in future editions of the Club World Cup, considering that their place was unfairly taken from them. Although they acknowledged that a team must take their place in the tournament, they hope that sportsmanship principles will be respected in the selection of the replacement.
The CAS has left the decision of choosing which team will take Club León's place in the 2025 Club World Cup in FIFA's hands, with a vacant spot in the competition. There has been mention of considering Club América for that spot, and the request made by Costa Rica's club Alajuelense has been dismissed.
This decision is a setback for Club León, which had already prepared for the tournament by signing James Ramírez, a former Real Madrid player. León's exclusion is based on the violation of the Club World Cup regulations established by FIFA.
In conclusion, Club León will not participate in the 2025 Club World Cup due to multiple ownership issues, leaving CF Pachuca as the only Mexican representative in the tournament. Despite the decision, León has expressed its intention to regain its place in future editions and hopes that the principles of sportsmanship will be respected in the election of their replacement in the tournament.
