Soccer
There is officially a path towards a third MLS team qualifying for this summer’s FIFA 2025 Club World Cup, with the sport’s governing body announcing Tuesday that LAFC will face Club América in a playoff match to determine who replaces Club León in the global tournament.
Should LAFC win, they would join Seattle Sounders FC (2022 Concacaf Champions Cup winner) and Inter Miami CF (host nation spot) when the 32-team tournament unfolds from June 14 to July 13 across the United States.
The LAFC-Club América date, venue, kickoff time, ticket sales and broadcast info will be communicated at a later date.
Why this game?
Club León qualified as 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup winners, but FIFA rules state that clubs competing at this summer’s Club World Cup cannot share owners.
Grupo Pachuca owns both Club León and fellow LIGA MX side CF Pachuca, who qualified as 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup winners and will remain in the tournament.
That decision was brought to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which upheld FIFA’s stance after appeals from CF Pachuca, Club León and Costa Rican side Alajuelense.
Why LAFC & Club América?
LAFC were selected as 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup runners-up, having lost that year’s final to Club León (3-1 aggregate).
Meanwhile, Club América were chosen as the top-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup ranking at the conclusion of the 2024 edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
What awaits the winner?
At the Club World Cup, the LAFC-Club América playoff winner will replace Club León in Group D alongside Chelsea (England), Flamengo (Brazil) and ES Tunis (Tunisia).
Club León’s Group D matches were scheduled as follows, with the first two games respectively held at home venues for Atlanta United and Nashville SC:
- Monday, June 16 vs. Chelsea | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Friday, June 20 vs. ES Tunis | GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Tuesday, June 24 vs. Flamengo | Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Perennial MLS Cup contenders in the Western Conference, LAFC are led by forward Denis Bouanga. The Gabon international has earned two consecutive MLS Best XI nods (2023, ’24) while scoring 20 league goals in back-to-back years. He also won the 2023 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi.
Additional stars include French national team legends Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, as well as rising Venezuelan winger David Martínez and center back Aaron Long.
LAFC are coached by Steve Cherundolo, who will depart the club at season’s end to return to Germany. Cherundolo led the club to an MLS Cup-Supporters’ Shield double in 2022, plus the 2024 US Open Cup title.
Club América are one of Mexico’s premier teams, having won a record seven Concacaf Champions Cup titles and 16 LIGA MX titles.
Led by manager André Jardine, star players include goalkeeper Luis Malagón, midfielder Álvaro Fidalgo, winger Alejandro Zendejas and forward Víctor Dávila. Zendejas is a former FC Dallas homegrown who represents the US men’s national team.
Last year’s Campeones Cup winners over the Columbus Crew, Las Águilas finished second in the recently-competed LIGA MX Clausura standings. They’ll play Pachuca in the upcoming Liguilla playoffs.
The expanded 32-team Club World Cup will be held this summer across the United States from June 14 to July 13.
Teams are drawn into eight groups of four teams per group, playing in a single-game round-robin format. The top two teams per group reach the Round of 16, commencing a single-match knockout stage until the final.
Concacaf teams earn a guaranteed $9.55 million for participating in the Club World Cup, then up to $87.625 million if they win all three Group Stage games and eventually lift the title in the July 13 final at MetLife Stadium – resulting in $97.175 million of potential winnings.
Seven MLS stadiums are among the 12 venues selected to host games.
Read MoreBong Pepper