Los Angeles FC and Club América will play on May 31 at BMO Stadium for the final place in the 32-team 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, a place left vacant after Club León was removed from the competition.
Mexican side León lost its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport this week. FIFA ruled earlier that León did not meet tournament regulations on multi-club ownership, as both León and Pachuca are owned by Grupo Pachuca. Pachuca remains qualified for the tournament.
LAFC was selected for the playoff because the club finished as runner-up to León in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League. Club America was chosen as the highest-ranked team behind León in confederation rankings that had not already qualified.
The winner of the one-off match will join Group D in the upcoming Club World Cup, playing alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and Esperance Sportive de Tunis. Reports indicate the playoff winner receives a substantial financial entry fee.
The expanded FIFA Club World Cup playoff is scheduled to be held in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025. The tournament features teams from across the globe.
Matches will take place in 11 venues across the USA, including sites in Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The tournament structure includes a group stage with 32 teams divided into eight groups. The top two teams from each group advance to a knockout round, beginning with the Round of 16. There is no third-place match planned.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport also dismissed an appeal from Costa Rican club Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, who sought to be included in the tournament as the next eligible team.
