
Soccer-LAFC and Club America to contest Club World Cup playoff on May 31
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Borussia Dortmund v Borussia Moenchengladbach - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - April 20, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy before the match REUTERS/Teresa. Kroeger/File Photo
(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)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Real Madrid ‘only' team I'd have left Liverpool for: Alexander-Arnold
NEW Real Madrid signing Trent Alexander-Arnold said he joined the 'only' team he would have considered leaving Liverpool for, at his presentation on Thursday. Reds fans jeered Alexander-Arnold after the academy graduate revealed he would leave this summer, but eventually gave him a warm farewell on the last day of the Premier League season. 'It was never a question of where, it was whether to go or not to go,' the 26-year-old defender told a news conference. 'I always knew... if I was to ever leave Liverpool, it would only be to go to Real Madrid, that would be the only club for me... 'I'm not going to say it was easy because I'd been there so long, been a part of it, but eventually, you have to make a decision. 'In my mind, I've made the right one and it's one that I'm very excited about.' The right-back said the record 15-time European Cup winners' history had to be 'respected' and he wanted to add to it. 'A big reason why I joined is to be a part of that amazing history that club's got,' he said. 'Be a part of the success going forward, joining an exciting, young team with a lot of potential.' Alexander-Arnold, who moved for a fee even though his contract was expiring this summer, to speed up his arrival ahead of the Club World Cup, signed a deal until 2031. He joins former Liverpool midfielder and new Madrid coach Xabi Alonso's project after winning a second Premier League title with Arne Slot's Reds. Alonso won the Champions League with Liverpool as a player in 2005 during a remarkable final against AC Milan as the English side fought back from three goals down to triumph in Turkey. 'I grew up a Liverpool fan, being able to see (that game in) Istanbul with the manager now, doing amazing things there, part of an incredible final,' said Alexander-Arnold. 'We've spoken a little bit... I told him that he was a big idol of mine growing up.' England international Alexander-Arnold's quality on the ball and his passing range is reminiscent of Alonso's. 'It probably impacted my game a lot growing up, seeing him pass a ball, I explained this to him as well,' continued the defender. 'Watching him pass a ball, seeing it influenced me to be able to go and train harder and have a great kind of hunger to be able to do that and set standards.' - 'I'll be a sponge' - Alexander-Arnold said he would try to learn a lot from Alonso and was willing to play wherever the coach saw fit, be it in defence or midfield. 'It's not just me who's new here, he's a new manager, he's got to get his ideas across to the whole team,' he said. 'He's shown how amazing he is managerial-wise and as a player, so his knowledge of football is there in abundance and I'm excited, I'll be a sponge around him.' He could make his Madrid debut against Al-Hilal on June 18 in Miami in their Club World Cup opener. Alexander-Arnold will wear the number 12 shirt at Madrid, with 'Trent' on the back rather than his surname. 'I've always found when I travel to Europe, the whole name situation confuses a lot of people,' he explained. 'I just thought let's make it simple, let's make it easy. Trent on the back, be known as Trent.' Madrid, who also signed centre-back Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, failed to win a major trophy this season under Alonso's predecessor Carlo Ancelotti, but are looking to triumph in the United States this summer. 'We go straight to America for the Club World Cup and our ambition there is to go and win that trophy as well,' said the defender. 'I'm looking to have a great start.' Earlier Alexander-Arnold surprised as he gave a short speech in Spanish at his presentation. 'Signing for a club like Real Madrid does not happen every day. It's a dream come true,' he said. 'I'm conscious that playing for Real Madrid is a big responsibility, but I'm ready to give everything.'


The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Sane bids farewell to Bayern ahead of Galatasaray move
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Bundesliga - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich - PreZero Arena, Sinsheim, Germany - May 17, 2025 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's Marius Bulter in action with Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane REUTERS/Heiko Becker/File Photo (Reuters) -Leroy Sane said farewell to Bayern Munich fans in a video posted on social media on Thursday, as the German winger moves closer to completing a switch to Turkish side Galatasaray. Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray had earlier said that they had started transfer talks with Sane and that the 29-year-old Germany international was in Istanbul. Sane joined Bayern in 2020, signing a five-year deal from English side Manchester City, where he won the Premier League title in 2018 and 2019. He would be joining Galatasaray as a free agent, with his Bayern deal expiring at the end of June. He has won the Bundesliga four times with Bayern, including the most recent campaign, as well as two DFL-Supercups, one UEFA Super Cup and a Club World Cup. "Dear Bayern fans, after five intense years here in Munich, I've decided to start a new chapter in the upcoming season," Sane posted on Instagram. "I'm incredibly proud to have worn the jersey of the best and biggest club in Germany for over 200 matches and will always cherish the titles we've won together. "Thank you to the club, the coaching staff, everyone behind the scenes, my teammates, and especially you, the fans, for the time we've shared and the memories we've made. I will forever be grateful for my time here Bayern!" Sane, capped 70 times for Germany, has bagged 61 goals and registered 55 assists in 220 appearances for Bayern in all competitions. (Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru;Editing by Christian Radnedge)


The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Alexander-Arnold says signing for Real Madrid is dream come true
Soccer Football - Real Madrid unveil Trent Alexander-Arnold - Ciudad Real Madrid, Valdebebas, Madrid, Spain - June 12, 2025 New Real Madrid player Trent Alexander-Arnold during the press conference REUTERS/Ana Beltran (Reuters) -Former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold described his move to Real Madrid as "a dream come true" in a speech he delivered in Spanish at his official presentation at the LaLiga club on Thursday. Liverpool-born Alexander-Arnold left his boyhood last month in a tearful farewell after securing his second Premier League winner's medal, before joining Real on a six-year deal. According to British media reports, Real paid a fee in the region of 10 million pounds ($13.58 million) to sign the 26-year-old before his Liverpool contract ended on June 30, ensuring his availability for the Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States from June 14 to July 13. "Thank you both to President Florentino Perez and to Real Madrid for this opportunity. Signing for a club like Real Madrid doesn't happen every day. It's a dream come true," he said. "I'm very happy and proud to be here. I'm really looking forward to showing my game to the Madrid fans. But I'm aware that playing for Real Madrid is a big responsibility. "I'm ready to give everything for the team and the fans. I can't wait to show my game, win many titles, become a champion, grow, and enjoy every moment alongside the best players in the world." Alexander-Arnold will wear the number 12 shirt at Real, as Spanish football regulations prohibit the use of his former Liverpool number, 66. He will display his first name, 'Trent', on his shirt, saying it is easier to understand for Spanish speakers. ($1 = 0.7362 pounds) (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)