Who are the Costa Rican team expected to replace León at the Club World Cup

There are less than 85 days left until the United States hosts the first expanded Club World Cup in history, however, on Friday, FIFA announced that due to MCO (Multi Club Ownership rules, with both Club León and Pachuca FC being owned by the Pachuca Group), the Fiera would not be allowed participate at the forthcoming tournament.

Club León’s exclusion has opened the door to debate about which team will join Chelsea, Esperance and Flamengo in Group D.

It appears with both MLS and Liga MX having covered their two team per nation quotas with Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders, Monterrey and Pachuca set to participate, the invitation would go to the next highest ranking CONCACAF team at the time when the draw was conducted in early December of last year and this privileged position would fall to LD Alajuelense of Costa Rica.

The Costa Rican side indeed have been vocal in their complaints about both Leon and Pachuca competing, citing FIFA regulation regarding multi club ownership with a club representative in December stating:

“Those are the rules that FIFA established — there cannot be multi-ownership at a FIFA competition” an LD Alajuelense spokesman claimed last week. “There are two Mexican clubs from the same owner and the rulebook is clear. What we are asking is to review what FIFA itself established.”

Alajuelense optimistic

ESPN have contacted the Costa Rican club who remain cautiously optimistic at this juncture despite the club not making an official statement regarding León being ‘removed from the competition’ by FIFA.

The first game for the newly selected team will be against Chelsea on June 16 in Atlanta (Georgia).

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