Chelsea will face either Los Angeles FC or Club America from Mexico in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup this summer. This decision was made public on Tuesday after Club Leon’s request to participate was denied. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that FIFA was right to exclude Club Leon, who was originally set to be Chelsea’s first opponent. Club Leon was disqualified because their owners also own another team in the tournament, the Mexican club Pachuca. CAS stated, “As a result of the CAS ruling, FIFA is tasked with determining the final team that will qualify for the Club World Cup 2025. The CAS Panel has dismissed the three appeals and ruled that Pachuca and Club Leon did not satisfy the criteria outlined in the Regulations for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 regarding multiple club ownership. The Panel reviewed the evidence, including a trust established by Club Leon’s owners, and determined that this trust did not meet the necessary Regulations. As a result, Club Leon is still barred from the competition while Pachuca retains its qualification. An additional appeal by Alajuelense against Club Leon, Pachuca, and FIFA was submitted on February 3, 2025. This appeal argued that the participation of Club Leon and Pachuca in the Club World Cup violated FIFA regulations and called for the exclusion of one or both clubs. Furthermore, the appeal sought the inclusion of Alajuelense in the competition to replace any eliminated team. The CAS conducted an in-person hearing for this case in Madrid on April 23, 2025, and it has also been dismissed today.
