(Reuters) -Los Angeles FC and Club America will play their Club World Cup qualifying playoff match on May 31 at the BMO Stadium, home of LAFC, for a place in the group stage of the 32-team tournament, world soccer’s governing body FIFA announced on Friday.
The playoff is being held to decide the 32nd team after Club Leon were kicked out of the tournament due to an ownership rule breach. The Mexican club also had their appeal rejected at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
FIFA said in March that Club Leon and Pachuca did not meet regulations on multi-club ownership. However, Pachuca’s spot in the June 14-July 13 tournament was unaffected.
LAFC were runners-up to Club Leon in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League while Club America were the top-ranked team in the Club World Cup confederation ranking at the end of the Champions Cup staged in 2024.
The winner of the playoff will go into Group D alongside Brazil’s Flamengo, Tunisian club Esperance de Tunis and Premier League side Chelsea.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
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