Chelsea’s group in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup has been impacted following the removal of Club León from the tournament due to multi-club ownership violations.

FIFA announced that Club León and fellow Mexican side CF Pachuca failed to meet the necessary ownership structure criteria, leading to León’s exclusion from the competition.

The governing body confirmed that a replacement team will be announced soon, as the group stage lineup undergoes adjustments.

In an official statement, FIFA explained:

“Following disciplinary proceedings opened against CF Pachuca and Club Leon, the chairman of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee decided to refer the case directly to the Fifa Appeal Committee in accordance with article 56 paragraph 3 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.”

“After having evaluated all evidence on file, the chairman of the Fifa Appeal Committee has decided that CF Pachuca and Club Leon failed to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership defined under article 10 paragraph 1 of the regulations for the Fifa Club World Cup 2025.”

“In line with article 10 paragraph 4 of the regulations for the Fifa Club World Cup 2025, Fifa has determined that Club Leon will be removed from the competition, with the club to be admitted as a replacement to be announced in due course.”

Chelsea, as one of the European representatives, will be keenly watching the developments, with the tournament set to take place in June and July 2025 in the United States. The Blues will be looking to add the Club World Cup to their trophy collection once again, having previously lifted the title in 2022 under Thomas Tuchel.

With León out, Chelsea now awaits confirmation on their new potential opponent in the group stage draw, which could slightly alter their path in the competition.