Club América receive major FIFA Club World Cup blow

Club América’s FIFA Club World Cup play-in clash against Los Angeles FC will be held at the MLS team’s home ground, FIFA has confirmed.

The news represents a major blow to América, as the Liga MX club had hoped for a neutral venue.

When will LAFC vs América take place?

The match at BMO Stadium is scheduled to be played on Saturday, May 31, at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

If the play-in game is tied after 90 minutes, it will go into extra time. If the teams still cannot be separated after the additional half hour, it will be decided by a penalty shootout.

General ticket sales will begin this Saturday, May 17.

A replacement for expelled León

The winner of this month’s play-in will take the Club World Cup place originally given to Liga MX’s Club León. Earlier this month, León were excluded from the tournament over a breach of FIFA’s multi-club ownership rules.

Which Club World Cup group will the winner be in?

LAFC or América will go into Group D, alongside Brazilians Flamengo, Tunisians Espérance, and Premier League club Chelsea.

Both LAFC and América are currently in the midst of domestic league competition.

Chasing their fourth straight Mexican title, América are contesting the Clausura 2025 playoff semi-finals against Cruz Azul. André Jardine’s men lost the first leg 1-0 on Thursday, with the return set for Sunday.

Meanwhile, LAFC are fifth in the MLS Western Conference regular-season standings, with a record of six wins, three draws and four losses.

When is the 2025 Club World Cup?

The inaugural edition of FIFA’s expanded, 32-team tournament, the Club World Cup is to be held in the U.S. from June 14 to July 13.

The team that qualifies from the play-in will meet Chelsea in its first game of the tournament, in Atlanta on June 16.

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