The León team will not participate in the 2025 Club World Cup after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected its appeal and confirmed the exclusion ruled by FIFA. As a result, Pachuca will retain its place in the tournament, while León is definitively excluded.
In a statement, the Panzas Verdes expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision, which they described as "very harsh," lamenting the absence of sporting principles in the ruling. In addition to feeling unjustly removed from the tournament, it is worth noting that they strengthened their squad this season with James Rodríguez and Andrés Guardado, who came out of retirement with the hope of participating in the competition.
The 2025 Club World Cup will take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, featuring 32 teams from around the world. The CAS indicated that the trust established by León to meet the independence requirements was insufficient to ensure the autonomy demanded by FIFA.
Both León and Pachuca are part of the Pachuca Group, which goes against this regulation. At the hearing held on May 5 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the appeals presented by León, Pachuca, and the Alajuelense Sports League from Costa Rica were rejected. For its part, Pachuca will compete in a group that includes Real Madrid, Al Hilal, and Red Bull Salzburg.
The decision was based on the violation of Article 10.1 of the tournament regulations, which prohibits the participation of two teams with the same ownership.
