James Rodriguez's team receives shock

Club Leon announced that it will appeal FIFA's decision.

In an announcement released early on March 22, FIFA said Club Leon and Pachuca (another Mexican team), both owned by Grupo Pachuca, violated the tournament's rules. Club Leon and Pachuca were originally the two representatives of Mexican football at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

However, after carefully reviewing the situation, FIFA, based on Article 10.1 of the organization's regulations, does not allow any club to own or trade shares or securities with any other team participating in the tournament.

FIFA has assessed that Club Leon is related to Pachuca in terms of ownership shares, so James Rodriguez's team cannot participate in the 2025 Club World Cup. Previously, both Club Leon and Pachuca's participation in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was strongly opposed by Costa Rica's Alajuelense Club.

After disqualifying Club Leon from the tournament, FIFA will soon announce a replacement. However, Club Leon immediately protested FIFA's decision. In a statement, the Mexican team expressed its disagreement and said it would consider legal measures to overturn the ruling.

“Club Leon disagrees with the decision of FIFA, which results in our exclusion from the upcoming Club World Cup. The decision on which teams will not participate is the responsibility of the General Secretary of the Confederation, and we will be informed in the coming days,” the statement said.

The Mexican team also stressed: “In recent months, the club has provided sufficient evidence and documents confirming that Club Leon operates economically, administratively and sportingly. If Club Leon is banned from the 2025 Club World Cup – a tournament to which we have qualified based on our achievements on the pitch – we will pursue the case to the highest sports legal bodies.”

If Club Leon are indeed eliminated from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, it will be a huge blow to the club both financially and in terms of image. The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be the first in history to feature 32 teams, with a total prize money of up to $1 billion (about £776 million), a record in history.