LAFC-Club America playoff for Club World Cup spot likely after appeal rejected | OneFootball

Los Angeles Football Club and Club America are likely to contest a playoff for a spot in the 2025 Club World Cup after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected appeals from Club Leon, CF Pachuca and LD Alajuelense.

Club Leon originally believed it had earned a berth into the new FIFA tournament via its 2023 Concacaf Champions League triumph, while CF Pachuca guaranteed its spot by winning the Concacaf Champions Cup the following year. (The two titles represent the same tournament, before and after an official name change.)

But because the two clubs are run by the same ownership group, FIFA decided earlier this year to remove Club Leon from the field as the less-recent Concacaf winner. The tournament stipulations require that only one club be permitted into the 32-team field per ownership group.

Why the playoff?

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has since indicated LAFC and Club America would likely contest a one-game playoff for the spot, LAFC as the second-place finisher in 2023 and Club America as Concacaf's highest-ranked team in its club rankings as of April 1.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled "FIFA is responsible for designating the final qualified team to participate in the "Club World Cup 2025."

Alajuelense of Costa Rica had lodged a separate appeal from Pachuca and Leon, contending it should be the final Concacaf representatives based on tournament regulations.

Those regulations stipulate that no more than two teams from one nation should be represented in the field unless all teams are winners of their federation's top club competition.

Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders will already be representing the United States in the competition while CF Pachuca and CF Monterrey will represent Mexico.

No date or venue has been set for the potential playoff between Club America and LAFC, but both teams have open time in their schedules in early June in the weeks before the tournament begins.