Leon’s captain, James Rodriguez, has strongly criticized FIFA for disqualifying his team from the upcoming Club World Cup. He described the decision as unfair and harmful to football’s reputation.

Leon was initially placed in Group D alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and Esperance de Tunis after the tournament’s draw last December. However, FIFA recently decided to remove the Mexican club due to a violation of its rules on multi-club ownership.

The issue arose because both Leon and their Liga MX rival, Pachuca, are owned by Grupo Pachuca. While both teams had qualified for the expanded 32-team tournament, FIFA ruled that their shared ownership was against the regulations. As a result, Leon was removed from the competition, and Costa Rican club Alajuelense was chosen as their replacement. Pachuca, however, remains in the tournament.

Speaking to reporters before Leon’s match against Pumas UNAM, Rodriguez expressed his frustration:

“I think it is a grave injustice. We won our place on the pitch. The club and the players feel hurt by this decision. If we are out, it’s not fair. The team replacing us will carry this stain, and football itself will be affected. FIFA needs to sort things out because this decision damages the sport.”

Rodriguez, who joined Leon in January on a one-year contract, made it clear that he and his teammates feel wronged. The controversy has sparked debate over FIFA’s rules on multi-club ownership and their impact on teams that qualify fairly through competition.