Club León Disqualified from the Club World Cup – and Now FIFA Has a Decision to Make

by Nathan Henley

Club León lift the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup (CONCACAF)

Liga MX side, Club León earned their spot in the FIFA Club World Cup on the pitch, but they lost it off it. That begs the question of what led up to this point, and who fills the void left behind?

The Mexican-based side, where Colombian international James Rodriguez currently plays, qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup after winning the 2023 edition of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. While there is no disputing their excellence on the pitch, Costa Rican club Liga Deportiva Alajuelense questioned their eligibility to compete in the competition after they took FIFA to court in February 2025. 

Alajuelense argued that Club León had broken FIFA’s rules on multi-club ownership, as since 2010, they have been owned by Grupo Pachuca, who also own Pachuca, which qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup after winning the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The court case wasn’t the first time this concern had been raised, as Alajuelense had been receiving complaints from FIFA since November 2024. This prompted owner Jesus Martinez to speak to ESPN the following month, stating his intention to sell the club in order to comply with FIFA’s rules, which stipulate that each club must operate as a separate entity. 

This statement was released after the club was drawn to be in a group with Tunisian side Espérance de Tunis, Brazilian side Flamengo and English side Chelsea FC. The latter would have been León’s opening game of the competition, which undoubtedly would’ve made the club a significant amount of revenue.

Eventually, on March 21, 2025, it was confirmed that the club had been disqualified from the FIFA Club World Cup, resulting in a loss of almost $10 million in guaranteed prize money. Had they won the tournament, they would have potentially earned up to $100 million. The prize money is mainly the reason why Alajuelense complained to FIFA in the first place, as they believed they should replace León based on their position in the continental rankings, which they had earned by winning the Costa Rican league 30 times. 

Despite their legal battles, however, Alajuelense are not currently considered by FIFA to replace Club León; instead, a play-off between LAFC and Club América has been proposed, which would see the winner qualify for the competition. However, FIFA’s regulations state that qualification for the competition will be granted to either the winner of a continental competition or a team holding a high ranking in FIFA’s World Cup rankings. If the rankings were considered, Alajuelense might have a valid argument for inclusion in the competition. 

This playoff match also adds another fixture to an already packed football calendar that’s been made worse by the expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup. There is also a very limited timeframe to play this match, as the competition starts in only two months. This scheduling headache will be exacerbated by the fact that Club León and Pachuca have filed complaints with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with a hearing scheduled for May 5, leaving only a month before the competition is expected to start. Alajuelense have also taken FIFA to court again, arguing that they deserve the final place in the competition, which will be heard by CAS on April 23.

The 32-team FIFA Club World Cup was already facing criticism for its expanded format and increased fixture congestion. Now, less than three months before it is set to kick off, one of its qualified teams has dropped out, three legal cases are currently active, and the identity of its final participant remains unknown. Regardless of the outcomes in court, this saga leaves FIFA in an uncomfortable position.

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