LAFC and Club América Set for High-Stakes Playoff to Enter Club World Cup
In a thrilling turn of events, Los Angeles FC and Liga MX side Club América are gearing up for a showdown on May 31 at LAFC’s BMO Stadium. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as the winner will earn the coveted spot to replace Club León in the 32-team Club World Cup, which is set to take place in the United States next month. This exciting development was confirmed by a source to ESPN, and it has fans buzzing with anticipation.
The path to this playoff was paved by a legal battle that finally reached its conclusion. Mexican side León found itself on the losing end of a legal match against FIFA, officially being ruled out of the Club World Cup due to FIFA’s multi-club ownership rules. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) played a crucial role in this decision, as its judges rejected León’s attempt to overturn their removal from the tournament. The reason? León and Pachuca, another Club World Cup entry, are part of the same ownership group.
Club León had initially secured their spot in the international tournament by winning the 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup. However, the CAS statement made it clear: “All appeals were consolidated into a single CAS case which was heard at CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 5 May 2025… The CAS Panel has issued an Operative Decision dismissing the three appeals and ruled that Pachuca and Club León failed to meet the criteria in the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup Club 2025 (Art. 10.1) concerning multiple club ownership.”
This legal dispute unfolded in Switzerland, a full five months after FIFA had allowed León to enter the tournament draw in Miami, despite the looming multi-club ownership issue. Club León expressed their disappointment in a statement, saying, “The sentence was harsh, the rivals very influential, the pressure intense, and the stakes very high. But those who have suffered most along the way have been our people: fans and footballers deserve more respect from an organization dedicated to promoting sports. But from the beginning, no sporting principle existed in this case.”
Meanwhile, Grupo Pachuca’s Club de Fútbol Pachuca was still cleared to play, having secured their spot by winning the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. This means that the playoff between LAFC and América is not just a battle for a spot in the Club World Cup, but also a chance to secure a significant financial windfall. The winner will be guaranteed almost $10 million from the Club World Cup prize money fund of $1 billion. The date and location of this high-stakes playoff were first reported by GiveMeSport.
The tournament itself is set to kick off on June 14, and FIFA has welcomed the decision made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In a statement, FIFA said, “FIFA welcomes the decision taken by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to reject the appeals of CF Pachuca, Club León and Asociación Liga Deportiva Alajuelense in relation to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.”
FIFA further clarified the process for determining León’s replacement: “In line with the applicable tournament regulations, FIFA has decided that the team to be admitted as a replacement for Club León will be determined through a play-off match between Los Angeles FC (runners-up to Club León in the 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup) and Club América (top-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup confederation ranking at the conclusion of the 2024 edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, the last season taken into account for clubs to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025).”
The winner of this playoff will not only secure a spot in the Club World Cup but will also take León’s position in Group D. This means they will face Chelsea in Atlanta on June 16, followed by matches against Esperance from Tunisia in Nashville, and Flamengo of Brazil in Orlando. It’s a challenging path, but one that promises excitement and the chance for glory on the world stage.
As the date approaches, fans of both LAFC and Club América are eagerly awaiting this clash of titans. The anticipation is palpable, and the outcome will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the teams’ futures. Stay tuned for what promises to be an unforgettable match!
Originally Written by: Associated Press
