Chelsea Uncertain Over Club World Cup Plans as Opponents Are Removed from Tournament

FIFA has removed Mexican club Club León from this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States due to their shared ownership with fellow Liga MX and tournament participant Pachuca.

León had been set to face Chelsea in the competition, but the Blues now await confirmation of a new opponent. Enzo Maresca’s side remain scheduled to take on ES Tunis and Flamengo, with FIFA stating that a replacement for León will be announced "in due course."

Pachuca, winners of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, retain their place in the tournament and will face Real Madrid, Al Hilal, and Red Bull Salzburg.

Following FIFA’s decision, both León and Pachuca rejected the ruling, vowing to appeal. “We will appeal until the last instance and in the highest sports court,” Pachuca said in a statement.

FIFA’s Appeal Committee determined that the clubs did not meet the competition's multi-club ownership criteria, as both are owned by Grupo Pachuca. Under Article 10, Paragraph 1 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 regulations, teams under the same ownership are not permitted to compete in the tournament together.

Article 10.1 (C) of the FIFA Club World Cup regulations states: "No individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in the Competition." This includes holding a majority of shareholder voting rights, being the sole shareholder with majority control, or having a decisive influence over a club’s decision-making.

Following the Club World Cup draw in December, Grupo Pachuca owner Jesús Martínez revealed plans to reduce their majority stake in León by 2027 but admitted they intended to retain some level of sporting control. "However, I think we’re going to maintain some kind of sports control," he said.

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Chelsea and Manchester City are the only British clubs participating in the expanded tournament, having qualified through their respective Champions League triumphs. Both clubs could be in line for a significant financial windfall, with reports suggesting City could earn up to £70 million.

Discussions are ongoing regarding how FIFA’s reported $2 billion (£1.55 billion) Club World Cup budget will be distributed. At least half of that sum will be shared among the 32 competing teams.

A total of $575 million is expected to be allocated for participation, though it is unlikely to be divided equally to avoid disrupting domestic and continental competitions. An additional $465 million is set to be distributed based on sporting performance.