A bombshell dropped today that could open the door for another team to participate in the new Club World Cup following the official withdrawal of Club León. Under these circumstances, many are wondering if Barcelona, which was not initially included, could take León’s spot.

Can Barcelona Replace León?

It remains uncertain if this is possible, but there is a slim chance, especially after seeing how Inter Miami was added to the select group of teams participating in this revamped tournament.

According to the Club World Cup regulations, Article 10 states:

"If the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decides that two or more clubs do not meet the criteria outlined in Section 1, the FIFA General Secretariat will determine which club will be admitted to the competition and how to replace the non-admitted club, considering the club's ranking and the respective allocation of the confederation or member association to which the club belongs."

Ultimately, it is up to FIFA’s General Secretariat to decide in the coming days or weeks which team will replace León. Currently, no specific selection parameters have been disclosed.

This scenario leaves a glimmer of hope for Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, given the club's global popularity and the financial appeal it would bring.

However, when León won the championship in 2023, LAFC was the runner-up, and Columbus Crew is the current CONCACAF Champions Cup runner-up. These teams could be direct competitors for the vacant spot, making it a tough battle for Barcelona.

Why Is León Out of the Club World Cup?

León, a Liga MX club, was excluded due to FIFA's ownership regulations. Since both León and Pachuca are owned by Grupo Pachuca, and Pachuca is also participating in the competition, León was deemed ineligible.

FIFA explained in an official statement that after a disciplinary process, initially reviewed by the Disciplinary Committee and later referred to the Appeals Committee, León could not participate due to the shared ownership conflict.

"Under Article 10, Section 4 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Regulations, FIFA has decided not to admit Club León to the competition and will announce the replacement club in due course," the statement read.

Pachuca, often called "Los Tuzos," is the flagship club of Grupo Pachuca, which also owns León, Spain's Real Oviedo, and Chile's Everton.

This ruling is a major blow for Colombian star James Rodríguez, who joined León partly because of the club’s participation in the Club World Cup. James expressed his disappointment, noting that the tournament was a key motivation for his move.

"The Club World Cup also influenced my decision. It's a big competition that I want to play in, and I tend to perform well in short tournaments. I hope to be in good form, but for now, our focus is on the domestic league," said the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner.

León, coached by Argentine Eduardo Berizzo, had made significant investments to strengthen its squad ahead of the Club World Cup. The team signed international players like Chilean Rodrigo Echeverría and Uruguayan Nicolás Fonseca, and even brought veteran Andrés Guardado out of retirement.

León was originally placed in Group D, alongside Brazil’s Flamengo, England’s Chelsea, and Tunisia’s Espérance Sportive.

The expanded Club World Cup, featuring 32 teams, is set to take place in the United States from June 14 to July 13.