Club León, 'KO' from the 2025 Club World Cup: Can FC Barcelona secure their spot?

'Bombshell' related to the 2025 Club World Cup organized by FIFA, which will take place in the United States from June 14 to July 13. Recently, it was announced that one of the teams that was on the list of qualifiers to participate in this event, Club León, has been excluded from the competition.

The Mexican team, which includes James Rodríguez among its assets, has been disqualified after it was determined that, along with CF Pachuca, they did not meet the criteria regarding multiple ownership established in the tournament regulations. Below is the statement from FIFA that supports this decision: "The FIFA Appeals Commission has made a decision regarding CF Pachuca and Club León".

"Following the disciplinary proceedings initiated against CF Pachuca and Club León, the president of the FIFA Disciplinary Commission opted to refer the case directly to the FIFA Appeals Commission, in accordance with art. 56, para. 3 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code"

It is important to note that both CF Pachuca and Club León belong to the same business group, Grupo Pachuca, which constitutes a violation of the rules regarding multiple ownership in the regulations and, therefore, they have been sanctioned for it:

"After evaluating all the evidence in the file, the president of the FIFA Appeals Commission has decided that both CF Pachuca and Club León violate the criteria regarding the ownership of multiple clubs established in art. 10, para. 1 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Regulations"

Should Barça closely monitor the case of the Mexican club and its absence from the 2025 Club World Cup?

This determination by the FIFA Appeals Commission has sparked a debate that will surely capture the attention of the international football world in the coming days. Why? This exceptional situation has raised the question of which team will take the place of the Mexican team in the tournament that will be held next summer in the United States and how this selection will be made, as this criterion is not reflected at the regulatory level.

Speculation has begun about which team could be selected to fill the spot left by Club León. At this point, the name of FC Barcelona emerges as a possible option, being one of the best squads in the world and with a high level of media exposure. Additionally, another 'top' team that was left out, such as Liverpool, could also be considered.

Barcelona would have very complicated chances of securing that spot in the 2025 Club World Cup

However, the chances of FC Barcelona being chosen for the 2025 Club World Cup are apparently quite complex. Since Club León is from CONCACAF, it would be most logical for the substitute team to also belong to that confederation, so as to respect the initial rule of having four CONCACAF teams in the tournament.

Furthermore, the inclusion of FC Barcelona could violate another rule, which states that no more than two teams from the same country can participate, unless they have been champions of Europe between 2021 and 2024. This would also affect Barça, as the spots for Spain are already occupied by Real Madrid (2022 and 2024) and Atlético de Madrid, the 2nd best-ranked Spanish team in the UEFA Ranking (2021-24), with 67 points.

In addition, if FIFA decides to allow more than two teams from the same country, the option of Liverpool could gain strength. The 'Reds' were left out because Manchester City (2022-23) and Chelsea (2020-21) directly advanced to the competition as UEFA Champions League champions, but they had more than enough arguments to be in the tournament, accumulating 76 points in the UEFA Ranking, 15 more than FC Barcelona (61).

There are other teams affected by this regulation in the tournament

It is important to note that the regulation not allowing more than two clubs per country would also impact the highest-ranked CONCACAF team that could take the place of Club León. In this case, it is Club América, which with 44 points is the highest-ranked team not qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup.

However, since there are already two Mexican teams in the competition, Monterrey (champion of Concachampions 2021) and Pachuca (champion of Concachampions 2024), Club América becomes ineligible, along with several other Mexican squads (Cruz Azul, Tigres UANL, and Pumas UNAM). The same situation occurs with the United States, which already has Seattle Sounders (champion of Concachampions 2022) and Inter Miami (invited by FIFA).

This situation would ultimately benefit Liga Deportiva Alajuelense from Costa Rica. This team is the highest-ranked in the CONCACAF Ranking that is neither Mexican nor American.

Club León has not yet given up on its participation in the 2025 Club World Cup

Now, it is crucial to wait for the outcome of this case. Club León, the most affected by this situation, has expressed its disagreement with what has occurred and is determined to appeal to all possible instances to reverse this decision with the necessary evidence and arguments, which could put an end to all speculations regarding this matter. If they fail to achieve this and that vacancy remains open, FC Barcelona would find itself in a complicated situation, waiting for what happens next.

UNACCEPTABLE pic.twitter.com/tV9Y4Bf8ZF

— Club León (@clubleonfc) March 21, 2025