CAS ruled against León and they won't be able to participate in the Club World Cup.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) communicated this Tuesday its final and unappealable decision regarding the appeals filed by Club León, Club de Fútbol Pachuca, and the Asociación Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, all related to the eligibility rules of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. After a hearing held on May 5 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the court dismissed the three claims and confirmed that Club León will not participate in the tournament.

The conflict revolved around article 10.1 of the tournament regulations, which prohibits the same business group from controlling more than one qualified team. FIFA had determined that both León and Pachuca, belonging to Grupo Pachuca, violated this provision. León attempted to demonstrate its independence through the establishment of a trust, but the CAS concluded that it was not a valid solution to meet the regulatory requirements.

"The Panel examined the evidence, including the trust of Club León created by the club's owners, and concluded that  this trust was insufficient to comply with the Regulations," stated the CAS in its resolution. Thus, FIFA's decision to exclude León and maintain Pachuca's spot was upheld.

Additionally, the CAS also rejected the appeal filed by Liga Deportiva Alajuelense of Costa Rica, which had requested that both Mexican clubs be disqualified for breaching the regulations, and that the available spot in the World Cup be awarded to them. This hearing took place on April 23 in Madrid. The court concluded that none of the grounds presented by LDA justified modifying the initial stance or their eventual inclusion in the tournament.

With all appeals rejected, everything indicates that the vacant spot will be decided in a match between América de México (best ranked in Concacaf) and Los Angeles FC (runner-up of the 2023 Concachampions won by León).

León's response

Shortly after the CAS ruling was announced, Club León published a statement expressing its discontent and harshly questioning FIFA for its actions. "The ruling was very harsh, the opponents very influential, the pressure very intense, and the interests very high," the text issued by the institution states.

In it, the club claims to have been subjected to unfair treatment and accuses the organization of having acted with bias throughout the process: "From the beginning, no sporting principle existed in this case.[...]In recent weeks we have been singled out, stigmatized, and defamed; this is the greatest harm caused to a team that has always competed with humility and honesty."

"For Club León, attending the Club World Cup was never a matter of power or money, we fought until the end to be there because as a sports organization we seek the glory that can only be earned, defended, and deserved on a field," they emphasized.

The message also included a reflection on the emotional impact of this situation on both its fans and players, and concluded with a strong ethical message: "We know that a team must replace us in the Club World Cup, we wish that the sporting values that in this case were not upheld, are honored and respected, can't be sold by someone, nor bought by anyone."