According to multiple reports on Sunday, a FIFA spokesperson has confirmed that the world governing body is considering having LAFC and Club America play a one-game playoff for the right to play in the 2025 Club World Cup, if FIFA's decision to remove Club Leon from the field survives an appeal.
Leon was removed from the 32-team field earlier this month, based on FIFA's regulation that no owner or ownership group could hold controlling interests of multiple teams in the field. Leon, which won the 2023 Concacaf title, and last year's title winners CF Pachuca are both owned by Grupo Pachuca. Leon has indicated it is appealing the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Costa Rican club LD Alajuelense is also involved in that process, having initially appealed to CAS on the grounds that Leon's participation was illegal, and thus LD Alajuelense should get the spot instead. Alajuelense's case is based on the Club World Cup tournament restriction that no more than two clubs from the same nation should be represented unless they have all won the confederation's top club tournament title. Even without Leon, Liga MX will still have two representatives, as will MLS.
The CAS will hear both clubs' cases on April 23.
If it rules that FIFA has correctly removed Pachuca, but that the spot should not be Alajuelense's, then the potential LAFC-Club America playoff comes into play. LAFC would earn the opportunity as the 2023 runners up to Leon, and Club America by virtue of being the highest-ranked Concacaf club in FIFA's club rankings that is not already in the Club World Cup field.
Presumably, the winner of that match would take Leon's place in Group D, beginning with a group game against Chelsea on June 16.
But there's not exactly a ton of time to iron out these details, especially considering that both LAFC and Club America are still alive in the current 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup. Additionally, Club America currently sits atop the Liga MX 2025 Clausura table and is already mathematically guaranteed at least some sort of postseason appearance from late April into May.
So when could these two find time to meet? Here's a look at potential dates, and the conditions that need to be present to make them workable if a verdict from the CAS has been given.
Wednesday, April 30
Conditions: Both teams must be eliminated from 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup before the semifinals.
Wednesday, May 7
Conditions: Club America must not have a Liga MX playoff conflict. (The match windows for the 2025 Clausura playoffs are not yet announced).
Wednesday, May 21
Conditions: Club America must not have a Liga MX playoff conflict. (The match windows for the 2025 Clausura playoffs are not yet announced).
Saturday, June 7
Conditions: While this is an open date for both clubs, it is technically during the June international match window. But FIFA could give priority to the Club World Cup if this was the only workable date, just as it has done for the tournament proper ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
The most likely scenario?
Given the date of the CAS hearing is still not for several weeks, the June 8 scenario probably makes the most sense, both in terms of having time to plan logistics and being sure both clubs will have an open date.
But it could be considered a disadvantage for Club America if they are eliminated from both the Concacaf Champions Cup and the Liga MX playoffs at an earlier stage, since LAFC has scheduled league matches all throughout May and would be in a more regular rhythm.
We don't know how that will unfold yet, of course. But a similar scenario arose last year in the Concacaf Champions Cup final, with CF Pachuca lost in the Liga MX quarterfinals, then had to wait three full weeks to play their Concacaf final against Columbus. It turned out not to be such a disadvantage, as Pachuca were 3-0 victors.