Just 85 days before the Club World Cup in the United States, there’s a change in participants. Club Leon from Mexico has been banned from the tournament because of FIFA’s rules against owning multiple clubs. Pachuca Group owns both Leon and Pachuca, and plans to sell Leon to avoid this issue didn’t happen in time for FIFA.
FIFA stated that Club Leon will be removed from the competition and a replacement team will be announced later.
Club Leon was preparing for the tournament and even added James Rodriguez to their team. However, they are currently unable to participate. Alajuelense from Costa Rica had previously threatened legal action if they weren’t included in the Club World Cup instead of a Mexican team due to the ownership issue. FIFA president Gianni Infantino needs to find a replacement quickly.
The United States already used their host nation spot for Inter Miami. It’s unclear how Leon will be replaced, but teams like Columbus Crew, who were runners-up in the Concacaf Champions Cup, might feel they deserve the spot. Pachuca is still expected to participate in the tournament, scheduled for June 14 to July 13.
Benedict Kingsley 
Adrian Whitmore