On May 5, 2025, Grupo Pachuca filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport arguing that the World Club Cup regulations prohibited the participation of two teams from the same owner after the qualification of León and Pachuca for winning the Concacaf Champions Cup. If the CAS favors León, the team would regain its place in the tournament in Group D alongside Chelsea, ES Tunis, and Flamengo.
Otherwise, FIFA will organize a playoff match between Los Angeles FC and the Águilas del América to determine which team will occupy the vacancy. After a day of hearings, the final decision is expected to be announced on May 6. The last session at the CAS lasted more than 9 hours, where the legal representatives of León and Pachuca presented their arguments before the sports authority.
The controversy revolves around the exclusion of León from the 2025 World Club Cup due to the shared ownership with Grupo Pachuca. Both the lawyers for León and those for Pachuca left the session at the CAS satisfied. The verdict expected on May 6 will be final and unappealable, to be accepted by all parties involved, including FIFA, if León regains its place in the tournament.