The final berth in the Club World Cup will be settled Saturday night, as LAFC and Club América meet in a playoff at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.
As two of Concacaf’s top clubs, it is no real shock to see these sides pushing for a place in the Club World Cup. However, the path to this point was unusual: neither team won a berth in a traditional manner, with LAFC in this position thanks to a game it lost in 2023 while Club América was only nominated to participate in this playoff via club rankings.
A convoluted case of dual club ownership opened the door, with Club León disqualified by FIFA (a decision later upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport). Hence, this one-game playoff, all to earn the right for a place in Group D at an expanded Club World Cup that begins in just two weeks.
Follow along as Pro Soccer Wire provides live updates for the Club World Cup playoff between LAFC and Club América:
LAFC vs. Club América: Cáceres booked
Club América center back Sebastián Cáceres is booked after a late tackle sees his studs land on Mark Delgado’s foot.
Replays — once TBS’s extremely helpful ads for the Club World Cup are out of the way — show that this yellow card could have been a darker shade, but ultimately it looks like no further punishments are coming.
Delgado is good to continue after treatment, and the resulting dead ball ends with Nathan Ordaz scuffing a promising chance wide. He might have ended up being called for offside anyway, but that might be a miss to remember.
Club World Cup playoff: Club América pushing the tempo early
While there haven’t been any major chances, Club América — backed by a very vocal wall of yellow-clad supporters at one end of BMO Stadium — has had most of the ball. LAFC has been pinned back into their own end for the most part, with few chances to break out on the counter-attacks that manager Steve Cherundolo has made the team’s hallmark.
All of these first 10 minutes have been played with a fog of smoke from some pyrotechnics during the pre-game. That has finally cleared in the last few seconds, which is probably good news for LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
LAFC vs. Club América: Club World Cup playoff kicks off!
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio blows his whistle, and we’re off and running in this Club World Cup playoff between LAFC and Club América.
LAFC vs. Club América Club World Cup playoff: Lineups, starting teams
LAFC vs. Club América Club World Cup playoff: Time, TV, and how to watch
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT
Location: BMO Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
TV: TBS (English), TUDN, UniMás (both Spanish)
Streaming: Fubo, Sling TV, DAZN USA (Watch NOW), TUDN app
Watch the Club World Cup playoff on Fubo (free trial for new subscribers)
Club World Cup playoff: Why are LAFC and Club América playing?
LAFC and Club América are playing due to a convoluted series of events that could only happen when you get Concacaf and FIFA together to sort out a new tournament format.
Initially, the last four winners of the Concacaf Champions Cup — Monterrey, the Seattle Sounders, Club León, and Pachuca — were set to take places in the Club World Cup. However, Club León and Pachuca share owners, something FIFA said cannot be permitted at the Club World Cup. FIFA eventually decided that León was disqualified, and announced a playoff between LAFC (the team León defeated in the 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup) and Club América (the top-ranked Concacaf team in FIFA’s rankings for Club World Cup purposes).
León, Pachuca, and Costa Rican club Alajuelense all appealed, with Alajuelense arguing that as Central America’s top-ranked team, they should be admitted, but all were rejected. That leaves the final spot in Group D up for grabs, with Saturday’s winner claiming the place.
Club World Cup: How much money will playoff winner receive?
This LAFC-Club América playoff matters as far as Club World Cup glory, but it will also be a welcome financial boon for the winner. The minimum prize for any team from Concacaf qualifying for the Club World Cup is $9.55 million.
Club World Cup playoff: What group will playoff winner enter?
The winner between LAFC and Club América will go into Group D, where Club León was initially placed. That will mean matches against Flamengo, Esperance Sportive de Tunis, and Chelsea.