FIFA announced on Friday that León will be barred from participating in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States. The global soccer governing body indicated that the Esmeraldas and fellow Liga MX outfit Pachuca “fail to meet the criteria regarding ownership of multiple clubs,” leading to the decision to withdraw León from the tournament.
According to the competition’s regulations, made public in 2024, clubs owned by the same legal entity cannot participate. “No individual or legal entity may control or exert influence over more than one club participating in the competition,” reads Article 10 in the regulations. Both León and Pachuca belong to the same group.
FIFA initiated an investigation in November 2024 through an independent committee, allowing representatives from León and Pachuca the opportunity to demonstrate that they operate as two independent teams.
How do León, Pachuca coexist?
Pachuca was the first team acquired by José de Jesús Martínez Patiño in 1995. In 2011, the Mexican businessman purchased León while the club was still playing in Mexico’s second division. Today, both teams compete in the top tier of Mexican soccer. According to an investigation conducted by ESPN, Martínez Patiño is listed as the majority shareholder of both clubs in the Public Registry of Commerce of the United Mexican States.
León is registered under the corporate name “Fuerza Deportiva del Club León, S.A. DE C.V.,” with Martínez Patiño holding a 55% majority stake. Meanwhile, the Tuzos are registered as “Promotora del Club Pachuca,” with Martínez Patiño also appearing as the owner of 50% of the club’s shares. The regulations for the Club World Cup define “exercising influence” as “having the ability, by any means, to exert decisive influence over a club’s decision-making,” in addition to “being a shareholder.”
In Liga MX, multi-club ownership has already been declared illegal, with a plan in place to abolish it entirely by 2027. In response, Martínez Patiño has stated that he would sell León to ensure their participation in the Club World Cup.
“We told FIFA,” Martínez Patiño acknowledged ahead of the Club World Cup draw held in December 2024. “In the most recent Liga MX owners’ meetings, we made it clear that León is the team we will have to sell control of.”
As of now, according to government records, there has been no change in the share distribution or the introduction of a new investor in either club.
Why do León, Pachuca have to appear before the CAS?
León and Pachuca are under investigation by an independent committee appointed by FIFA, which requires them to prove that they operate as independent entities. At the same time, Costa Rican club Alajuelense has filed a claim with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that one of the two Grupo Pachuca teams should be barred from the Club World Cup for violating tournament regulations.
The CAS accepted Alajuelense’s claim despite FIFA submitting an appeal and has requested that both Mexican clubs as well as FIFA itself present their arguments by no later than April 2, 2025. León and Pachuca argue that the regulation prohibiting multi-club ownership did not exist when they qualified for the Club World Cup, while Alajuelense is demanding that one of the two teams be disqualified and that the vacate place be awarded to the Costa Rican club.
The CAS has set May 2025 as the final deadline to resolve the case and determine whether Grupo Pachuca will be allowed to participate in the Club World Cup or if one of its two teams will be left out of the tournament, which is set to take place next summer.
