FIFA has further tightened the reins on multi-property ownership in the 2025 Club World Cup, with Mexican clubs Pachuca and León taking the hardest hit. This means that under the new regulation, both teams, owned by Grupo Pachuca, are barred from competing together in this tournament to protect competition integrity and transparency.
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In this regard, Grupo Pachuca is only allowed to enter one team into the competition. In essence, the issue not only provokes debate in the model of club ownership but also leaves other clubs which include Club Tigres, Columbus Crew, and Club América salivating with expectation for the opportunity at the open slot.
Meanwhile, international football is rapidly drifting to ownership of multi-property, with large groups buying a number of teams in different leagues. Yet, FIFA still manages to implement tight rules in their tournaments, like the Club World Cup, where, under no circumstances, will teams from the same ownership group be allowed to play in order for every other team to stand a right chance.
This decision directly affects Pachuca and León because it puts Grupo Pachuca in the tough position of choosing between two extremely popular and successful Liga MX teams, both with deep histories and titles that would add prestige to the tournament. But to FIFA, this opens a door to partiality and weakens the integrity of the competition.
With Grupo Pachuca certainly to lose one of its spots, a few worthies may drop in. Each has the potential to represent CONCACAF well. A look at the top contenders includes:
Club Tigres: One of the heavies of Mexican football, the 2020 CONCACAF Champions Cup winner, Tigres have flexed their muscles in international competitions. With a large and boisterous base, coupled with a very aggressive style of play, they are certainly one of the top choices to represent the region.
Columbus Crew hails from the United States; Columbus Crew was a runner-up in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup and tops the ranking of CONCACAF. It would be an avenue to express the strength of American soccer on the world stage by entering the Club World Cup. With the recent recognition that is growing for the Crew, and with the talented roster they had, they are one exciting addition to this tournament.
Club América is one of the most favorite and historical teams in Mexican soccer. Their entry into the Club World Cup means a strong following of its fans and more prestige to this competition. América carries along with it the spirit of Mexican soccer, replete with skill and passion-a true prize for the tournament.
These teams now await the resolution that will determine which one will play with Grupo Pachuca because an available spot is also an opportunity given once in a lifetime.
There is also a high level of multiple ownership, where conglomerates own more than one club in order to gain economies of scale and synergy, sharing players, coaches, and resources. Another other side of the coin, however, may be illustrated by the Grupo Pachuca case, with its complications and risks when international rules intervene to prevent two clubs owned by the same owner from competing in major events.
Still, this FIFA rule-allowing only one club in each ownership group to claim a place in the Club World Cup-means Grupo Pachuca must declare its priority. It means that multiproperty ownership is profitable but also comes with another kind of price-a cost at the international level, anyway. The impact isn't purely financial but indeed impinges directly on the sporting aspirations of these clubs, requiring them to cede space in global competition.
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