The Mexican club Club Léon turns on the CAS in the fight for participation in the club World Cup. The case should be negotiated from May 5th.
The eight-time Mexican football champion Club León moves to the CAS after being excluded from the club World Cup in the USA. As the International Sports Court announced on Friday, León demands reintegration into the competition. The case is to be negotiated from May 5, the club World Cup begins on June 14th.
In March the appeal commission of the World Association FIFA León excluded because the club around the former Munich James Rodríguez does not meet “the criteria for possession of several football clubs”. Club León has the same owner as CF Pachuca in José de Jesús Martínez Patino, who is also qualified for the tournament.
Former Bayern player James Rodríguez plays for Club Léon
Violation of “the spirit of fair competition”
León had then stated that the exclusion “against the spirit of fair competition” was an “independent, independent and sovereign team”. The association wrote: “We will do everything we can to defend our place at the club world championship,” now followed the walk in front of the CAS.
In November 2024, FIFA opened an investigation by an independent commission that gave the clubs representatives the opportunity to prove that they act as two independent clubs. The World Association came to the conclusion that this is not the case.
FIFA has not yet announced a possible replacement association. However, the club ASociación Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (LDA) from Costa Rica has also pulled in front of the CAS to obtain the exclusion of at least one Mexican team and to get a place at the World Cup. This is negotiated on April 23.
Club León and Pachuca had qualified for the club World Cup by winning the Concacaf Champions Cup (2023 and 2024). León would meet Chelsea FC in Group D.
The club World Cup will be held for the first time as a four-week mega event. Europe provides the biggest contingent with twelve teams, from the Bundesliga Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.