The Court of Arbitration for Sport has set a date for a hearing to decide the fate of Club León and Pachuca in the Club World Cup. The appeals will be heard in May, bringing the saga closer to a resolution.
Club León and Pachuca have received good news from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after FIFA decided to exclude the “Panzas Verdes” (Green Bellies) from the next Club World Cup for failing to comply with multi-ownership rules.
Through a statement, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that it accepted the appeal presented by Grupo Pachuca for the expulsion of “La Fiera” (The Beast), a situation that will make James Rodríguez smile and that gives him hope of playing in the tournament next summer in the United States.
When will the date be decided?
In the letter from the CAS, it was announced that León and Pachuca presented a letter of appeal against FIFA on April 2, where they indicate that they do not agree with the measures taken to exclude one of their teams for the Club World Cup.
It must be remembered that FIFA announced that “La Fiera” was the sacrificed team, ahead of the “Tuzos” (Gophers), for the Club World Cup, supposedly, for failing to comply with the regulations regarding multi-ownership.
“Pachuca and Club León appeal the decision of the FIFA Appeals Committee in order to declare that both clubs meet the eligibility requirements to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025,” they said in the statement.
Adding that “Club León filed an additional appeal against the decision of the FIFA Secretary General in order to be reinstated in said competition.” So “the Parties are exchanging the writings in relation to these appeals in accordance with the arbitration rules governing the CAS proceedings.”
A meeting that has already been scheduled, and the day that it will be known if León will be one of the 32 guests to the next Club World Cup: “The appeals will be processed according to the accelerated procedure agreed by the parties and the hearing will be held during the week of May 5, 2025.”
What will happen to Alajuelense?
On the other hand, the CAS also accepted the appeal presented by the Costa Rican team, who alleges that the two teams of the Liga MX are left out, and that they deserve to receive the ticket to the Club World Cup.
“Likewise, another arbitration procedure is being processed in relation to the appeal presented by the Asociación Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (LDA) against Club León, Club de Fútbol Pachuca and FIFA, with which it alleges that the participation of Club León and Pachuca in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is contrary to the Regulations and that one of the clubs, or both, must be excluded from the competition.”
In this case, the hearing will be held in Madrid in person on April 23, 2025, weeks before the meeting that the CAS will hold with León or Pachuca regarding the Club World Cup.
CAS’s full statement on the Club World Cup
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS, in its acronym in French) has received appeals from Club León and Club de Fútbol Pachuca (Pachuca) against FIFA, presented on April 2, 2025.
The FIFA Appeals Committee decided in March 2025 that Club León and Pachuca failed to comply with the FIFA Club World Cup Regulations 2025 (Art.10.1) in relation to the multi-ownership of clubs. Due to this infraction, the Secretary General of FIFA decided to exclude Club León from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Pachuca and Club León appeal the decision of the FIFA Appeals Committee in order to declare that both clubs meet the eligibility requirements to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Club León filed an additional appeal against the decision of the FIFA Secretary General in order to be reinstated in said competition.
The Parties are exchanging the writings in relation to these appeals in accordance with the arbitration rules governing the CAS proceedings. The appeals will be processed according to the accelerated procedure agreed by the parties and the hearing will be held during the week of May 5, 2025.
Likewise, another arbitration procedure is being processed in relation to the appeal presented by the Asociación Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (LDA) against Club León, Club de Fútbol Pachuca and FIFA, with which it alleges that the participation of Club León and Pachuca in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is contrary to the Regulations and that one of the clubs, or both, must be excluded from the competition.
The LDA also requests to be admitted to the competition in replacement of Pachuca or Club León. The hearing of this case will be held in Madrid in person on April 23, 2025.
