“It’s a huge injustice”: James speaks out

James Rodríguez, midfielder for León, didn’t hold back after learning that his team was disqualified from the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. Speaking publicly for the first time, the Colombian expressed his frustration and suggested the decision may have been made to benefit another team.

“I have my doubts about what led to this decision. It’s strange because it looks like there’s a big interest in having another club there. FIFA needs to step up. Football has been stained,” said James, clearly angered by the ruling.

Last Friday, FIFA officially removed León from the expanded 32-team tournament, set to take place this summer in the United States. The reason: the club shares ownership with fellow qualifier Pachuca, which breaches FIFA’s rules regarding club ownership in the competition.

Support from teammates and hope in the appeal

León’s board has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), hoping to overturn the ban. Veteran midfielder Andrés Guardado, who came out of retirement to play in the tournament, also voiced his disapproval.

“If anyone messed up, it was FIFA, not León. Shared ownership has been around for years, and nobody told us that if Pachuca made it, one of us would be left out. Plus, the rule came out after we had already qualified,” said Guardado.

Head coach Eduardo Berizzo remains optimistic. “We trust our lawyers will convince CAS to rule in our favor and that FIFA will realize it made a rushed decision. The tournament hasn’t started yet, so there’s still time to make things right,” said the Argentine.

James Rodríguez, who joined León with the goal of playing in the Club World Cup, confirmed he plans to honor his contract. Still, he didn’t hide his disappointment. “How do you tell fans who already bought tickets and went into debt to travel to the U.S. that their team won’t be there? It’s just not fair,” he concluded.