Fifa removes Mexican side Club Leon from Club World Cup

Fifa has ordered Club Leon to leave the Club World Cup this summer because they broke the rules for multi-club ownership.

In their opening game of the 32-team competition, which will take place between 14 June and 13 July in the United States, the Mexican side had been scheduled to face Chelsea.

However, the world’s governing body found that they and another Mexican team, Pachuca, did not adhere to regulations prohibiting clubs from directly or indirectly holding or trading in the shares of other competitors.

Leon said they would file an appeal to the sport’s highest courts if they were denied a spot at the event and that they would do so in response.

The club continued, “In the last few months, we have presented all the evidence and supporting documents demonstrating Club Leon’s self-management in all business, administrative, and sporting areas.”

Deportiva Alajuelense, a Costa Rican club that won the 2023 Central American Cup, had challenged the decision to allow both teams to enter. The Concacaf Champions Cup was won by Pachuca in the same year as Leon were also named winners, whose place has not been impacted by their defeat there in 2024.