León Takes FIFA to CAS Over Club World Cup Ban
Mexican side Club León has taken its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after FIFA’s decision to exclude the team from the upcoming 2025 Club World Cup, citing a violation of Article 10 of the tournament’s regulations. According to Mediotiempo, León contends that the rule regarding multi-club ownership was not in effect at the time they qualified by winning the Concacaf Champions Cup in June 2023.
León argues that the regulations for the 2025 tournament were only made public months after their qualification. The FIFA statute in question prohibits entities from having influence over more than one participating team, a situation that affects León and Pachuca, both owned by Grupo Pachuca. However, León maintains that there was no clear deadline or warning from FIFA and that any required compliance could have been resolved before the tournament's kickoff on June 14.
Club officials, including coach Eduardo Berizzo and veteran midfielder Andrés Guardado, have publicly criticized FIFA’s handling of the matter. “They welcomed us to the draw, promoted our participation, and then removed us less than 100 days before the tournament,” said Guardado. León was originally drawn into Group D alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and Esperanzas de Tunis. The CAS decision could determine whether the Mexican club regains its place in the expanded 32-team competition.
Facundo Trotta Arrieta
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