James Rodríguez and Grupo Pachuca faces another setback: FIFA denies appeal over dual ownership

FIFA's decision to uphold Club León's exclusion from the Club World Cup is a major blow to the team and their fans. It also dashes the hopes of James Rodríguez, who was hoping to participate in the tournament with the Mexican club.

Bad news for James Rodríguez: the FIFA Appeal Committee reaffirmed this Wednesday its decision taken to exclude Club León from the 2025 Club World Cup. Although there is still a small hope for the Mexican team in the CAS, the multi-ownership of Grupo Pachuca was definitively exposed to the regulations of the competition.

Some hours ago a 55-page opinion came to light in which the non-compliance with the rules imposed from the beginning is evidenced.

Having failed particularly in article 10.1 of the regulations, which states that “they are controlled by the same people, who exert a significant influence on their respective decision-making processes”, the parent federation of soccer ratified its decision emphatically.

FIFA decides on León’s replacement

As a result of this ruling, León was excluded from the competition. FIFA will now have to make a decision on which Grupo Pachuca team will be the Emerald Club’s replacement at the 2025 Club World Cup. The FIFA General Secretariat will be in charge of defining which club will participate in this year’s summer tournament, while León’s future remains in suspense.

Grupo Pachuca appeals to TAS

Despite this resolution, Grupo Pachuca is not giving up. The conglomerate has turned to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to appeal FIFA’s decision. The hearing with CAS will take place at the beginning of May and could be the last chance for Pachuca and Leon to resolve this conflict and achieve their participation in the 2025 Club World Cup.