From Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr to Man United and Barca: Who should replace Club Leon at Club World Cup?
CBSN
This spot in the Club World Cup still hinges on a hearing in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport on April 23, but here are some options
FIFA is reportedly considering MLS' LAFC and Mexico's Club America as the Club World Cup replacement for Club Leon, who were removed from the competition earlier this month after they were found to be in violation of competition rules.
LAFC is in the mix to enter the Club World Cup, per ESPN, after losing to Club Leon in the final of the 2023 Concacaf Champions League, which is how Club Leon qualified for the competition. Club America, meanwhile, are the highest-ranked Concacaf team that are not already part of the 32-team field for the Club World Cup and are also under consideration for the empty slot. FIFA is contemplating the idea of a one-game playoff between LAFC and Club America for that spot, though it is unclear if the plans are locked in at this time.
Club Leon were kicked out of this summer's Club World Cup after Costa Rica's Alajuelense submitted a complaint in February to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that the Mexican side were in violation of competition rules around ownership. Two clubs that share an ownership group are not allowed to take part in the Club World Cup and after realizing that Club Leon were owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also owns Pachuca, FIFA decided on March 23 to boot Club Leon out of the competition.
