Club World Cup Reaps Controversy, Club Costa Rica Protests

Alajuelense should have entered the 2025 Club World Cup if FIFA obeyed the self-made rules (Instagram/@alajuelense_oficial).

JAKARTA - The 2025 Club World Cup which became a FIFA celebration has again drawn controversy. The club from Costa Rica, Alajuelense, threatens legal action as an effort to protest against FIFA's unclear policies.

The club with the most Primera Division de Costa Rica (Liga Costa Rica) winners have asked FIFA to get a place in the Club World Cup next summer. If they are rejected, they are preparing to sue FIFA legally.

Alajuelense, who has won 30 league titles, wants FIFA to enforce rules prohibiting clubs from holding the same side to participate in the tournament.

"The claim is based on the principle of feasibility set out in tournament rules," reads Alajuelense's official statement.

Alajuelense spokesman, Marco Vazquez, noted that Mexican clubs, Leon and Pachuca, are held by the same owner, Jesus Martinez, of Grupo Pachuca.

"Those are the rules set by FIFA, there should be no dual ownership. There are two Mexican clubs from the same owner and the rule book is clear."

"What we ask for is to review what FIFA determines itself," Vazquez said on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, local time.

The FIFA tournament has been expanded from seven teams to 32 teams.

The plan is that the 2025 Club World Cup will be held in the United States from June to July 2025.

"We hired law firms in Spain and they have all the details," Vazquez said of potential legal action.

FIFA has not publicly reacted to Alajuelense's announcement and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Alajuelense is the best-ranked team in Central America for Concacaf but is in 40th overall at the confederation.

Concacaf has four clubs in the 2025 Club World Cup. The teams that qualifyed were Seattle Sounders FC, Monterrey, Leon, and Pachuca. Then, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami will participate as the host.

The five clubs were announced for draw on December 5, 2025 in Miami.

In Mexico, apart from Leon and Pachuca, there are two other companies that have two or more clubs in the main division.

Grupo Caliente hasminya and Queretaro, sementara Grupo Orlegi mengendali Atlas dan Santos. TV Azteca memiliki Mazatlan dan memiliki sebagian kepemilikan atas Puebla.

In May 2023, Liga MX announced that joint holdings would be banned, but gave owners four years to sell.

Jesus Martinez Murguia, who runs Leon's club, said they would sell part of the team to comply with the regulations, but would still have partial ownership.

Meanwhile, in other words, the threats made by Alajuelense refer to the whereabouts of Leon and Pachuca from Mexico.

They asked FIFA to choose one of the two clubs to participate in the 2025 Club World Cup because both clubs are owned by the same person or company.

In addition to the presence of two clubs with the same ownership, the 2025 Club World Cup previously also received strong protests.

The new FIFA regulations make the players of participating clubs not have enough rest time in the summer.