FIFA announced on its official website on Tuesday that it will hold a play-off to determine which club will replace the disqualified Club León and qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

According to FIFA's official statement, this play-off will be a one-off match, with the two teams competing in a 90-minute match, and the winner will be determined as the club that will replace Club León in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

If the two clubs still to fail to settle their draw in 90 minutes, the game will go into extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout.

This play-off will be between the Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles FC and the Liga MX powerhouse Club América.

Details of the match between Los Angeles FC and Club América are yet to be announced.

At the same time, FIFA also cited the Court of Arbitration for Sport and confirmed that the latter had rejected León's appeal and rejected the request of Costa Rican powerhouse Alajuelense to participate in this tournament.

In addition, FIFA also added that they have never confirmed that "蒂格雷斯" (Club Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León / Tigres UANL) will replace Club León and "participate in the 2025 World Club Cup", implying that the news which The Athletic's renowned journalist Felipe Cardenas had refuted our website's notoriously infamous female rumour monger "Ms. Hype Up" on March 28 is true!

Earlier, FIFA announced on March 23 that Club León was officially disqualified from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup because its largest shareholder is the same person as the largest shareholder of another club in the league, Pachuca, which seriously violates the multi-club ownership and management model rules.

The authorities' Ethics and Disciplinary Committee said that it had received letters from the largest shareholders of Club León and Pachuca, but found that the arguments they described and provided were of no serious reference value, so it insisted on maintaining the decision to disqualify Club León from participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Subsequently, due to dissatisfaction with the verdict, Club León appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in mid-April, and Alajuelense also formally submitted an application to the authorities to participate in this tournament at the same time. However, in the end, both clubs' requests were rejected.

While all this turmoil was still brewing, "Ms. Hype Up" suddenly quoted the fake news published by Alejandro Orellana, by Alejandro Orellana, a reporter from El Universal, a low-quality Mexican media outlet, on March 26, claiming that "蒂格雷斯" (Club Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León / Tigres UANL) will replace Club León and "participate in the 2025 World Club Cup". As a result, this was refuted by Cardenas two days later!

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be held from June to July in the United States, the host nation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is also the first time that FIFA has expanded the participating clubs to 32 clubs.

European clubs will receive 12 places in this tournament, including Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City, who have automatically received a place for being the Champions League winners in the in the 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons respectively.

In addition, 8 more clubs will receive additional qualification places through the best placed UEFA club co-efficient rankings over the past four years.

The following are the clubs that have confirmed qualifications for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup:

Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

Al-Hilal (2021 AFC Champions League winners - Saudi Pro Leauge)

Urawa Red Diamond (2022 AFC Champions League winners J1 League )

Al-Ain (2023/24 AFC Champions League winners - UAE Pro League)

Ulsan Hyundai (Best placed club in the AFC club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - K-League 1)

African Football Confederation (CAF)

Al-Ahly (CAF Champions League winners of 2020/21, 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons - Egyptian Premier League)

Wydad Casablanca (2021/22 CAF Champions League winners - Moroccan Botola Pro)

Espérance de Tunis (Best placed club in the CAF club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Tunisian Pro Ligue 1)

Mamelodi Sundowns (Second best placed club in the CAF club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - South African Premiership)

North American Football Confederation  (CONCACAF)

Monterrey (2021 CONCACAF Champions League winners - Liga MX)

Seattle Sounders (2022 CONCACAF Champions League winners - Major League Soccer (MLS)

Pachuca (2024 CONCACAF Champions League winners - Liga MX)

Los Angeles FC / Club América (Play-off Winners)

Inter Miami (host country representative - Major League Soccer (MLS)

South American Football Confederation  (CONMEBOL)

Palmeiras (2021 Copa Libertadores winners - Campeonato Brasileiro Série A)

Flamengo (2022 Copa Libertadores winners - Campeonato Brasileiro Série A)

Fluminense (2023 Copa Libertadores winners - Campeonato Brasileiro Série A)

Botafogo (2024 Copa Libertadores winners - Campeonato Brasileiro Série A)

River Plate (Best placed club in CONMEBOL's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Argentine Primera División)

Boca Juniors (Second best placed club in CONMEBOL's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Argentine Primera División)

Oceania Football Federation (OFC)

Auckland City (12-time OFC Oceania Champions League winners - New Zealand Northern League)

UEFA

Chelsea (2020/21 UEFA Champions League winners - Premier League)

Real Madrid (2021/22 UEFA Champions League winners - La Liga)

Manchester City (2022/23 UEFA Champions League winners - Premier League)

Bayern Munich (Best placed club in UEFA's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Bundesliga)

Benfica (Best placed club in UEFA's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Portuguese Primeira Liga)

Dortmund (Best placed club in UEFA's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Bundesliga)

Inter Milan (Best placed club in UEFA's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Serie A)

Porto (Best placed club in UEFA's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Portuguese Primeira Liga)

Paris Saint-Germain (Best placed club in UEFA's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Ligue 1)

Atlético Madrid (Best placed club in UEFA's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - La Liga)

Juventus (Best placed club in UEFA's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Serie A)

Red Bull Salzburg (Best placed club in UEFA's club co-efficient rankings over the past 4 years - Austrian Bundesliga)