May 19 – In potentially the richest match either team has ever played, Major League Soccer’s (MLS) LAFC and Liga MX’s Club América will face off in a crucial Club World Cup qualifying playoff match on May 31 at BMO Stadium. The victor will be just seven matches away from a potential $125 million payday should they win the entire tournament.
The winner will enter the 32-team tournament in the group stage, facing 2021 UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea in Atlanta on June 16, followed by matches against Tunisia’s Esperance in Nashville and Brazil’s Flamengo (2022 Copa Libertadores champions) in Orlando.
This playoff opportunity arose after Liga MX team Club León was removed from the tournament due to a multi-club ownership rule breach. Despite taking their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), León’s appeal was rejected, creating an opening for LAFC and Club América.
The selection of these two clubs was based on specific criteria: LAFC were runners-up to Club León in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League, while Club América was the top-ranked team in the Club World Cup confederation ranking at the conclusion of the 2024 Champions Cup.
The two clubs have previously met twice in friendly competitions, including a 0-0 draw at the Leagues Cup Showcase at SoFi Stadium in front of 71,189 fans in 2022, and a pre-season match at a sold-out BMO Stadium which LAFC won 2-1.
Just qualifying for the tournament guarantees an initial $9.55 million. For perspective, LAFC earned only $300,000 for winning the MLS Cup in 2022, while Club América received $1 million during the 2024-25 Liga MX season.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup represents a massive leap in prize money distribution for club football.
There has been much criticism of the sporting integrity of the Club world Cup with Inter Miami being give a slot seemingly based on Lionel Messi’s marketing power rather than sporting achievement. The same could be argued for the two play-off teams.
The LAFC- Club America play-off takes place a day before the Concacaf Champions Cup final between Cruz Azul and Vancouver Whitecaps. Previously the winner of the Concacaf Champions Cup would qualify for that season’s Club World Cup. But hey, why let qualifying on sporting merit get in the way of a marketing buck.
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