A potential playoff between Los Angeles FC and Mexican side America could determine the final spot for this summer’s Club World Cup in the United States, depending on the outcome of a legal case involving a team expelled from the tournament.
Mexican club Leon was disqualified by FIFA this month for violating tournament rules by sharing ownership with another participating team, Pachuca, leaving one slot open in the 32-team event.
FIFA announced late Sunday that it has scheduled a playoff between LAFC and America to fill the vacancy. However, the match's confirmation depends on the outcome of at least one legal case currently before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
FIFA explained that LAFC would participate in the playoff due to its runner-up finish behind Leon in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, while America earned its spot as the next highest-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup confederation standings.
It was unclear why America – one of Mexico's best-supported teams – is eligible to be included when FIFA rules cap each country at two entries unless it has more than two winners of a continental championship in the qualifying period.
"The winner of the playoff would qualify unless legal proceedings rule otherwise," FIFA said in a statement.
Those legal proceedings include Leon preparing an appeal at CAS against the FIFA expulsion order, plus a separate case brought by Costa Rican club Alajuelense, which believes it has a claim on qualifying instead.
The entry being contested by lawyers is worth an initial $9.55 million payment from FIFA, plus a share of the $1 billion in total prize money, depending on results in the group stage and knockout rounds. The winner of the tournament is expected to earn up to $125 million.
The highest court in sports said Monday it will hold a hearing on April 23 in Madrid in the case brought by Alajuelense.
In the expected second case, CAS said it had not yet received a formal appeal from Leon.
The opening game of the Club World Cup between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Al Ahly of Egypt will be played June 15, with Leon scheduled to play the following day.
The primary path for teams worldwide to qualify for the first edition of FIFA's relaunched and expanded club tournament was to win a continental title from 2021 through 2024. Qualified teams include Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Seattle Sounders.
The rules regarding multi-club ownership were in place last June when Pachuca won the CONCACAF Champions Cup, one year after Leon won the previous edition. Both are owned by Grupo Pachuca, whose owner said in December that Leon was put up for sale to comply with FIFA rules.
Though teams from the same country cannot be drawn together in the same Club World Cup group, they could meet in a knockout-round game.
FIFA drafted tournament regulations in October, including "Article 10: Multi-Club Ownership," but allowed Leon and Pachuca to both enter the draw on Dec. 5, where Ivanka Trump and her son Theodore helped start the ceremony in Miami. The golden Club World Cup trophy had been sitting in the Oval Office with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Leon was scheduled to play Chelsea, then Esperance from Tunisia in Nashville, and Flamengo of Brazil in Orlando.
Fans were able to buy tickets and make travel and hotel plans for more than three months before FIFA announced its appeal judges' decision that Leon was out.
