By Victor Kanayo
Mexican side Club Leon will be absent when the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup begins in June.
This is because the world football governing body yanked the club off after it failed to meet tournament regulations on multi-club ownership.
However, FIFA determined that they and another team from Mexico, Pachuca, did not comply with rules that prohibit clubs from directly or indirectly holding or dealing in the securities or shares of another participating in the competition.
Both clubs are owned by Grupo Pachuca, and FIFA said in a statement that a replacement for Leon will “be announced in due course”.
Leon disagreed with FIFA’s decision and said they would appeal to the sport’s highest courts if they were denied a place at the event.
The decision to allow both teams to enter had been challenged by Costa Rican club Deportiva Alajuelense, who lifted the 2023 Central American Cup.
It was the same year Leon were crowned winners of the Concacaf Champions Cup, a competition won in 2024 by Pachuca, whose place has not been affected.
The Mexican side had been scheduled to face Chelsea in their opening Group D fixture of the 32-team competition, which takes place between 14 June and 13 July in the United States.
Brazilian club Flamengo and Tunisian side Esperance are also in the group.
