Qatar has been hit by an "unprecedented campaign" of criticism over the football World Cup, its ruler said Tuesday, lashing out at "double standards" in a fierce rebuttal just weeks before the tournament starts.

The energy-rich and conservative Islamic Gulf state has spent tens of billions of dollars on hosting the first World Cup on Arab soil, but has faced mounting attacks over its human rights record.

In a rare public airing of frustration to Qatari news outlets, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Qatar was the victim of "fabrications", hinting at hidden motives behind the criticism.

"Since we won the honour of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has faced," he said in a speech to the country's legislative council, 26 days from the November 20 kick-off.

FIFA awarded the World Cup to an Arab country for the first time after a contentious bidding process in 2010. Qatar has since faced constant scrutiny over its treatment of foreign workers as well as LGBTQ and women's rights.

This week, the government angrily rejected a report by the Human Rights Watch group which said police have arbitrarily detained and abused members of the LGBTQ community ahead of the World Cup.

The emir said Qatar had initially accepted negative commentary "in good faith" and "even considered that some criticism was positive and useful, helping us to develop aspects that need to be developed.

"But it soon became clear to us that the campaign continues, expands and includes fabrications and double standards, until it reached an amount of ferocity that made many wonder, unfortunately, about the real reasons and motives behind this campaign," he said.

"Great test for Qatar" said Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani

The 29-day World Cup is expected to bring more than one million foreign fans to Qatar, a small, gas-rich peninsula of less than three million people.

The emir said the event was a chance for Qatar to show "who we are, not only in terms of the strength of our economy and institutions, but also in terms of our civilisational identity.

"This is a great test for a country the size of Qatar that impresses the whole world with what it has already achieved."

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and critics point out that women's rights are restricted by male guardianship laws.

But the Gulf state has faced particular attention over the foreign workers who have built the infrastructure for Qatar's economic miracle.

Foreigners make up more than 2.5 million of the 2.9 million population.

Conditions on construction sites were long condemned by international unions -- ranging from safety standards to hours worked in the searing summer temperatures.

Rights groups including HRW and Amnesty International have insisted that Qatar and FIFA should do more to compensate workers who died or suffered injury on Qatar's mega projects.

They have demanded that FIFA set up a $440 million compensation fund -- equalling the World Cup prize money.

But reforms have been praised by the union leaders who previously fought the government.

After a visit this week, Luca Visentini, secretary general of the European Trade Union Confederation, told AFP that more work needs to be done on implementation of reforms but that Qatar should be seen as "a success story".

"The World Cup was undoubtedly an opportunity to accelerate change and these reforms can constitute a good example to be extended to other countries that host major sports events," he said.

FIFA leader Gianni Infantino has defended Qatar and said the World Cup will be the "best ever, on and off the field".

Many great players have taken the football pitch and left the fans in awe. However, only a few players have gone on to win various trophies in their careers. In this special article, we will take a look at an elite list of players who have won the most trophies in football as a player. 

Argentine football star Lionel Messi is the player with most trophies in football history. In his career so far, with club and country, he has won 46 major trophies. Moreover, he is one of the very few players to win FIFA World Cup. Ballon d'Or, and UEFA Champions League in his career. 

But, yes, the below list only counts the major trophies won with teams and only only individual awards. We wanted to be clear with that at the start. With this list of "11 players who have won the most trophies in football history," we will able to judge which player has been a part of a winning team mostly. 

Though, it is not always the case that when you win a trophy, you have a big role to play in that. But, in this list, all the players listed always had big contributions to their team's success. So, without further a due, let's checkout the list. 

Top 11 players with the most trophies in football:

11. Vitor Baia (34 trophies)

Vitor Baia spent most of his career with FC Porto except playing two years for Barcelona. Baia started his career with FC Porto in 1988 and left the club to join Barcelona in 1996. 

Before retiring in 2007, he played for Barcelona in two stints and won the La Liga in 1997-98 season. His most success came his boyhood club FC Porto, where he won the Liga Portugal 10 times.

However, the biggest achievement was to win the UEFA Champions League in 2004 with the Dragons. Under the visionary eyes of Jose Mourinho, they created one of the greatest underdog success stories in European football.

In a total, Baia won 25 trophies with the Porto while adding the rest to his collection of glories for Barcelona. Unfortunately, he was not able to add any trophy while playing for Portugal.

10. Kenny Dalglish (34 trophies)

Scottish legend Sir Kenny Dalglish is Liverpool's one of the most legendary players. Apart from playing 13 years for the Reds, he played for Celtic for 8 years at the start of his career.

For Liverpool FC, he won a club record 8 Premier League titles along with three Champions League titles. He had won 7 English Super Cups and 2 FA Cup titles as well.

While playing for Celtic, he became the Scottish Champion four times.

9. Angel di Maria (35 trophies)

One of the most underrated players in modern football history, Di Maria always had to shine under the shadows of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Di Maria played alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina and then shared club dressing room with Cristiano at Real Madrid.

With his latest trophy for Benfica in the Portuguese Super Cup, he now has won 35 trophies in his career. Di Maria won five Ligue 1 titles with PSG and won his only Champions League title with Real Madrid.

Read Also | Football facts: 10 players who have played most games with Lionel Messi

However, just like Lionel Messi, his international success bloomed late in his career. He won the Copa America twice in 2021 and 2024. But, his major success was to win the FIFA World Cup 2022, where he scored an important in the final.

Di Maria retired from international football after the 2024 Copa America final.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo (36 trophies)

Arguably one of the greatest players in the history of football, Cristiano Ronaldo has 36 trophies in his cabinet at the moment. The Portuguese legend won his latest trophy for Portugal, as he lifted the UEFA Nations League 2025 for his country.

Ronaldo, who started his club career with Sporting CP, won the Portuguese Super Cup with the club in 2003. That was the start to a historical career which gave football fans joy for over two decades.

Read Also: Top 10: Most Free-kick Goals In Football History (Updated)

The Portuguese legend flourished under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He then joined Real Madrid, where he won four of his five UEFA Champions League titles. Ronaldo has won a title for every club he has played for so far.

However, one of his biggest achievements as a player was to win the UEFA European Cup with Portugal in 2016. Besides scoring over 900 career goals, Ronaldo's success for every team is what makes him a legend.

7. Ryan Giggs (37 trophies)

Ryan Giggs played all his life for one football club; Manchester United. In his 24-year career at the club, he won a total of 37 trophies, a record for the club.

Not only that, with 13 Premier League titles, he is league's most successful player ever. With the Red Devils, he also went on to win two UEFA Champions League title.

For United, he played 963 games and has 168 goals and 265 assists, another record for United.

6. Sergio Busquets (38 Trophies)

Sergio Busquets, the FC Barcelona and Spain legend is one of the most underrated players ever to play. The central defender was part of one of the greatest international team which won 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2010 Euros for Spain.

Read Also: Barcelona team that won "EVERYTHING" in 2009: Busquets to leave as the last man of that team

The former Barcelona captain won 9 La Liga titles. Not only that, he won 7 Spanish Cups and Spanish Super Cups as well for the Catalan club.

However, his biggest achievement in club football was to win three UCL titles for Barcelona. His latest trophy is the 2024 Supporters’ Shield winners with Inter Miami CF.

5. Maxwell (38 trophies)

Maxwell, the Brazilian left back might be the only unknown player on this list. The defender achieved most of his success playing for PSG in France.

However, he found success with FC Barcelona as well. But, joined PSG to find more chances as well.

Maxwell's first trophy was with Cruzeiro, winning the Brazilian Cup in 2000. Soon the joined Ajax, wining two Dutch League titles.

His move to Barcelona via Inter Milan and FC Empoli saw him winning the UEFA Champions League title in 2011. But his most success came with PSG, winning the Ligue 1 four times in a row from 2013 to 2016.

Read Also: Messi vs Ronaldo: The hat-trick battle

4. Gerard Pique (39 trophies)

Another player from that legendary Spanish and Barcelona team, who features in this list. Although known for his career at FC Barcelona, Gerard Pique had success with Manchester United as well.

It might be quite revealing for many that, he played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, against whom he had some tough battles later.

Read Also | Reliving Barcelona's Golden Era: A Tribute to Footballing Brilliance

Pique won 9 La Liga titles for Barcelona to go with 3 UCL titles for the club. But before reaching there he had won the Premier League and Champions League for United in the 2007-08 season.

He was also an integral part of the Spanish team which won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and UEFA Euro in 2012.

3. Andres Iniesta (39 trophies)

Probably the best midfielder of the modern era, Andres Iniesta with 41 trophies is the third most successful footballer ever.

Another important player of that iconic Spanish and Barcelona team, Iniesta found success early in his career. He won his first major trophy with Spain U-17 team winning the U-17 Euros in 2000. He followed that up with the U-19 Euro title next year.

His Barcelona career started in 2002 which continued till 2018. In those 17 year at Barcelona, he won 32 trophies. Post that, he joined Japanese club Viseel Kobe where he won three trophies as well.

Read Also | Andres Iniesta: Who has won the most trophies for FC Barcelona?

Along with all club level success, Iniesta's greatest achievement was to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup alongside lifting the 2008 and 2012 Euro Cup. His goal in the 2010 World Cup final to hand Spain their first-ever World Cup, is regarded as one of the greatest World Cup moments.

Iniesta called it a day in 2024 after spending a year at the Emirates Club. 

2. Dani Alves (43 trophies)

Before Lionel Messi took over as the player with most trophies in football history, it was Dani Alves who had the record. The defender won 23 trophies in eight years at Barcelona.

Dani Alves won six La Liga and three Champions League titles with Barcelona. He then won 19 more titles while playing for Juventus, PSG, and Sao Paulo. He won domestic titles in Italy, France, Brazil and Spain as, which makes him one of the greatest of his era.

Read Also: All the FIFA World Cup winners and runners-up since 1930

The defender won six major titles with his national team, Brazil. He started his Brazil career by winning the U-20 FIFA World Cup in 2003. Alves then won two Copa America titles in 2007 and 2019. He concluded his international career by winning the Olympic gold in 2021.

Despite the recent off-field controversies, with 43 trophies in his cabinet, Dani Alves is one of the greatest ever to play the game.

1. Lionel Messi (46 trophies)

Leo Messi is the player with the most trophies in football history. With his latest triumph at the 2024 Supporters’ Shield winners, the magician from Argentina won his 46th trophy in his career.

Messi won back-to-back four international trophies with Argentina within three years. He won the Copa America 2021 and then went on to win the Finalissima 2022. Then he capped off his greatest achievement by winning FIFA World Cup 2022.

The Argentine maestro has also won the Olympic Gold Medal with his country in 2008. His latest international success came in Copa America 2024.

In club football history, Messi is the most successful player with 41 club trophies to his name. He started his career with his boyhood club Barcelona and played 18 seasons for the club, scoring a record 672 goals.

Read Also | Top 10 La Masia Graduates who ruled football

The 8-time Ballon d'Or winner won four Champions League titles with Barcelona. Alongside European success, he won 10 La Liga titles as well, most for Barcelona. He has also won Spanish Cup seven times.

After his great stint at Barcelona, Messi went to the French League to play for PSG. However, he was unable to bring the UCL to the French giant, he won the French League with them. In addition, he won the French Super Cup for the season 2022-23 with PSG.

US President Donald Trump has made a claim that the FIFA 2026 World Cup could help end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and shut down the war. The Russian national football team has been banned from international competition by FIFA and UEFA since the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Trump, during his 2024 campaign, vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war on the first day back in. But his efforts to broker a deal between the countries have so far stuttered.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far

Trump was unaware of the ban

Trump was questioned about the possible participation of Russia at next year's World Cup. Speaking alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the meeting, Trump admitted he was unaware that Russia are banned from the 2026 World Cup.

During the meeting at the White House, a reporter asked the president for his stance on the ban, which was part of global sporting sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Trump said, "I didn't know that, is that right? You want to explain that?"

"That is right," replied Infantino. "They are banned for the time being from playing but we hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted."

Trump on Russia-Ukraine war

The United States are hosting the World Cup next year along with Canada and Mexico but Russia are currently banned by both FIFA and UEFA from participating in international competitions due to their invasion of Ukraine.

Trump has now said that reinstating Russia for the tournament could help end the war in Ukraine, feeling that it ‘could be a good incentive’ for Putin.

Also Read: Brazil wants to sign current Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti after recent humiliation against Argentina

"That's possible. Hey, could be a good incentive, right?" Trump replied to Infantino.

"We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop. 5,000 people a week are being killed -- it's not even believable. We're going to get that war stopped."

Russia haven't played a competitive fixture since a 2022 World Cup qualifying defeat to Croatia in November 2021. They have played 16 friendlies since then, winning 11 of them.

Club Leon boss Eduardo Berizzo has come out and slammed FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino over his team being omitted from the 2025 Club World Cup due to rules regarding multiple-club ownership.

“La FIFA ya prepara reemplazantes en vez de esperar a la decisión del TAS”

Eduardo Berizzo, D.T. de León, en conferencia de prensa @FeintSoccerMX #Leon #MundialDeClubes pic.twitter.com/22cRZdFVc0

— Danna Cervantes (@dannapcervantes) April 16, 2025

In March, FIFA decided that Leon were not qualified to play in the first 32-team competition after they failed to match FIFA's multi-club ownership requirements, and Infantino has since donated their place in a playoff game between Club America and Los Angeles FC.

But the Mexican club has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and, at a news conference, Berizzo had some strong words against the decision.

Read Also | FIFA considering play-off game to replace Club Leon at the Club World Cup 2025

Club Leon boss slams FIFA and Infantino

Club Leon's head coach, Eduardo Berizzo, discussed how the decision has affected the team's performance after the club lost to Cruz Azul. He stated:

The FIFA President cannot comment on a supposed replacement without waiting for the ruling. I think his words carry significant weight and he shouldn’t have commented; he should have remained neutral until the CAS ruling.

The rules of competition of the 2025 Club World Cup declared that clubs owned by the same legal entity cannot compete. FIFA decided that Leon and the other Mexican clubs competing in the tournament belonged to the same ownership structure, but Berizzo has criticized FIFA for the lack of transparency. He said:

If the world were the way I wanted it to be, people like that wouldn’t lead organisations like this. FIFA must demonstrate that it is an organisation of integrity, and it isn’t. In the past, it hasn’t been."

Not only with our elimination, but with all this, which involves a fix, a hidden interest to see which team goes, who doesn’t , why teams go, why others leave or why you get eliminated. As long as there’s no clarity or transparency about that, they’ll always remain suspects."

We live in a football world, in organisations and institutions that, instead of representing transparency and setting an example for all citizens, increasingly make us suspicious and make us feel small in the face of what’s happening."

In a football world where everyone should feel supported, a part of, and proud to be a part of, sometimes you feel like running away.

The Leon boss also targeted his country's national association, the Mexican Football Federation. Berizzo claimed:

You feel treated unfairly; you feel part of a football system governed by individuals who work for subterranean interests that make decisions. It's very striking that the Mexican Football Federation hasn't said a word about this issue.

Read Also | FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Draw: Groups, Format, and Schedule

The controversy over the potential increase in the 2030 FIFA World Cup roster to 64 teams has gained momentum, with key football officials coming out to oppose it. The Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have joined forces against this controversial suggestion.

Should the 2030 World Cup be expanded to 64 teams❓🌎 🏆

Alejandro Dominguez, president of CONMEBOL, is proposing a one-time expansion of the 2030 Men's World Cup to 64 teams to mark the tournament’s 100th anniversary.

The centenary edition is set to begin with matches in 🇺🇾,… pic.twitter.com/hxbslrotyM

— 433 (@433) April 11, 2025

Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani has joined the increasing call to oppose the plan to increase the World Cup teams to 64, claiming increasing the number of teams "would not be the right move".

AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa also warned against the expansion to 64 teams and the ‘chaos’ it could lead to, telling Agence France Press (AFP), “Personally, I don’t agree."

AFC and CONCACAF Presidents show concerns over expansion

In March's FIFA Council, Uruguayan football chief Ignacio Alonso proposed expansion of the 2030 World Cup. FIFA later announced that it would study the proposal.

Since then, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez has been the frontrunning campaigner for an expansion to 64 teams. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been silent on the idea, but according to sources close to FIFA, he favours the plan and came up with it in the first place.

🚨 An official proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams has been put forward by the South American Football Confederation. 🌍🏆

(Source: @BBCSport) pic.twitter.com/LDTfggf3BA

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 11, 2025

Conmebol have often been his path to market for alterations that he desires – the most stunning of these recently having been for a biennial World Cup cycle.

Last week, Dominguez supported a tournament extension from 48 teams to 64 teams in the 2030 World Cup as a once-off for the centenary celebrations for the global finals. Dominguez said:

We are convinced that the celebration of the centenary will be something unique, because it has only once been 100 years old. And for this reason, we are proposing, for one, to carry out this anniversary with 64 teams, across three simultaneous continents. So that all countries have the opportunity to live a world experience, and so that no one is left out of this party even if it is played everywhere, it is our party.

With Victor Montagliani joining the mounting anti-64-team World Cup campaign, he is joined by fellow FIFA vice presidents Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president) and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

Following Infantino, they are the next three strongest political officials in the world governing body. Montagliani told ESPN:

At Concacaf, we’ve shown that we are open to change by supporting the Women’s World Cup expansion and the continuous evolution of our Confederation’s men’s and women’s national team and club events,”

I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players.

Yesterday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa cautioned against expansion to 64 teams and the 'chaos' it might bring, telling Agence France-Presse: "Personally, I don't agree." He further stated:

If the question is open to amendment, then the door will not only be open to increasing the tournament to 64 teams,"

But somebody will come along and insist on increasing the amount to 132 teams. Where would we get to then? It would be chaos.

Even the president of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, who also serves as FIFA vice president, joined the chorus of criticism. He stated:

It is not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it's not a good idea for our qualifiers as well," 

I don't know where it came from, but it's odd that we didn't know anything prior to this proposal at the FIFA Council."

Would you like a World Cup with 64 teams? 🤔

The 2022 tournament had 32, and 48 will compete in 2026 🏆 pic.twitter.com/sJyyEtaBIE

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 3, 2025

Future World Cups and logistical issues

Excitement is rising for the first-ever 48-team World Cup to be staged in 2026 by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This event is a huge rise from the traditional 32-team setup, and any further expansion to 64 would double matches to a mind-boggling 128. Contrary to this, the forthcoming 2026 event will host 104 matches to be staged in 16 host cities.

Read Also | FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far

The logistical issues for the 2030 World Cup are already significant, with its games spread across three continents. Its initial host nations are Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina will be hosting the milestone opening games, marking a century since the tournament's first edition was held in Uruguay.

FIFA has yet to comment publicly on the feasibility of this proposal, although they did confirm their duty to consider it.

Read Also | FIFA dismisses Morocco's claims about Western Sahara in the 2030 FIFA World Cup bid assessment report

The proposal is expected to be a subject of debate at FIFA's upcoming 75th Congress, which takes place annually on May 15 in Paraguay's capital, Asunción, which houses the headquarters of Conmebol. The congress agenda is yet to be published, but the plan for a 64-team World Cup will supposedly receive intense local lobbying in the backrooms and corridors of FIFA.

FIFA is reportedly considering the possibility of arranging a one-game play-off between Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles FC and Liga MX giants Club America to decide which team will represent the expelled Club Leon at the 2025 Club World Cup.  

🤯🇲🇽 BREAKING: FIFA has drawn up plans to hold a one-game playoff between Club America and LAFC to determine a replacement team for Club Leon at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. 🇺🇸🏆

Via @lizzy_becherano - @espn pic.twitter.com/ZVFSfcZPZ6

— All Fútbol MX 🇲🇽 (@AllFutbolMX) March 30, 2025

A FIFA spokesperson disclosed on Sunday that the organization is actively weighing the feasibility of this play-off match, whereas the winner of this playoff would also receive $9.55 million in prize money given by FIFA to teams qualified from the Concacaf zone.

However, FIFA's consideration does not include the Costa Rican side Deportiva Alajuelense after the club lodged a complaint in 2024, which led to Leon's subsequent removal from the tournament.

Read Also | FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Draw: Groups, Format, and Schedule

The controversial exclusion of Club Leon

Costa Rican outfit Alajuelense’s complaint regarding the multi-ownership issue initiated the investigation by the FIFA Appeal Committee back in November 2024, which eventually led to Club Leon’s exclusion.

FIFA announced the decision to expel the Mexican side Club Leon from the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup 2025 last week due to the club's shared ownership with Pachuca, another team that competes in Mexico's top division, Liga MX.

TODOS LO GANAMOS, JUNTOS LO DEFENDEMOS.

Más unidos que nunca.#SerFieraEsUnOrgullo 🦁 pic.twitter.com/BEXp7VbCjl

— Club León (@clubleonfc) March 31, 2025

Pachuca also qualified for the Club World Cup after winning the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, while Club Leon earned its qualification after clinching the 2023 edition of the same tournament. However, Grupo Pachuca owns both the teams and holds stakes in Spanish side Real Oviedo and some other clubs as well.

This joint ownership violated the multi-club ownership requirements defined under Article 10, paragraph 1 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Regulations outlined by FIFA.

FIFA is considering a play-off game to replace Leon

According to different sources, FIFA is considering an unconventional approach to organize a single play-off game to determine which team would replace Club Leon in the competition.

Renowned football journalist Ben Jacobs has indicated a showdown between Club America and Los Angeles FC is on the cards, with the winner securing the coveted last place in the Group D, consisting of Chelsea, Flamengo, and Esperance.

The FIFA spokesperson stated the following on Sunday:

LAFC would participate as runner-up to Club Léon in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League through which Club Léon had qualified, Club América would participate as the top-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup confederation ranking through which qualification is also determined.

The winner of the play-off would qualify unless legal proceedings rule otherwise.

The plans to commence the process of arranging a play-off will begin if Club Leon loses their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to be reinstated to the Club World Cup.

CAS has called for a hearing on April 23 in Madrid, Spain, where Leon and Deportiva Alajuelense both will be presented the opportunity to put forward their arguments. Alajuelense had previously filed the complaint at CAS, asserting that León's inclusion was against FIFA regulations as they have also claimed a spot in the tournament instead.

Read Also | Costa Rican side Deportiva Alajuelense demand Club World Cup spot following Club Leon's exclusion

Both clubs must submit their legal documents by April 2, prior to the hearing on the 23rd. Any announcements concerning a possible substitute will likely not be made until the legal issues are settled.

"I think it's a grave injustice": James Rodriguez expressed his disappointment

The exclusion of Club Leon has heavily affected the Mexican side's talisman player, the Colombian star James Rodriguez. The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder did not hesitate to express his disappointment regarding this decision. He said:

I think it's a grave injustice. We all believe that. We won on the pitch. The club and the players are hurt by this. If we're out, it's not fair. The team that would replace us would be stained, and football would be stained.

So many fans have planned to travel to the tournament; how do you tell them that they can't go? I have a lot of questions about all this. It's odd. I think FIFA has to get their things together. Football is stained by this. 

ESPN revealed that when asked about qualifying for the tournament, Club América head coach Andre Jardine assured his team's eagerness to earn the spot by battling on the field. According to him:

León should go to the Club World Cup. I'm sad for the institution, and I'd like them to find a solution so they can go,

"If it doesn't happen, then América has been doing things well for a long time. It's true that they haven't yet won the Concacaf Champions Cup, which is a dream of ours and a very clear objective.

"We're leading most of the Mexican tournaments and the Concacaf ranking, which is one of the criteria. If you ask me if I want to go to the Club World Cup, of course it's true, but I'd like to go to the Club World Cup by achieving it on the field. That's what we're working towards.

However, nothing has been finalized yet, and FIFA will also have to wait until the CAS hearing is able to curve out any solutionary measure. 

Read Also | FIFA announce Club World Cup 2025 prize money: USD 1 billion pool, winner to get record USD 125 million