FIFA committed “a total injustice” by leaving Leon out of the Club World Cup, according to Jesus Martinez
The president of Grupo Pachuca confronted Gianni Infantino during the Real Madrid vs. Pachuca match in Charlotte
Jesus Martinez, president of Grupo Pachuca, didn't hold back. During the match between Real Madrid and Pachuca at the Bank of America Stadium, Martinez took advantage of his meeting with Gianni Infantino to express his dissatisfaction with Club Leon's exclusion from the 2025 Club World Cup.
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It was very cruel, he told the FIFA president in an interview with ESPN Deportes. For Martinez, the decision to leave La Fiera out despite having won the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League was an injustice that affected both the club and its fans.
On March 21, FIFA officially notified Club Leon that it would not be able to participate in the new 32-team tournament format due to its shared timeshare with Pachuca. This condition is prohibited by the competition's regulations.
Although Leon took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), his appeal was unsuccessful. The Concacaf spot it hoped to occupy was disputed in a Play-In between América and Los Angeles FC, which ended with a 2-1 victory for the MLS team.
A management that seeks recognition
Martínez insisted that Infantino should get a close look at the work done by Grupo Pachuca. “You have to go and see what León is all about... León didn't even have a place to train, it didn't even have a stadium, and it owed everything,” he stated, highlighting the efforts of his son, the current club president, to transform the institution from the ground up.
The story took on a new chapter with the elimination of both Pachuca and LAFC in the group stage of the Club World Cup. While the Mexican team fell to Salzburg and Real Madrid, the Los Angeles team was also defeated in both of their matches.
Paradoxically, neither of the two clubs that occupied that spot were able to advance to the next round.
At the close of the match in Charlotte, Jesus Martinez confirmed that Infantino has committed to visiting Mexico to learn about the group's operating model firsthand. “He stayed... so he can learn about all the different structures and how the Pachuca Group works perfectly.”