FIFA has drawn up plans to hold a one-game playoff between Club América and Los Angeles Football Club to determine a replacement team for Club León at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, sources have told ESPN.

Club León was removed from the Club World Cup on March 23 when FIFA ruled that its inclusion would violate competition rules preventing two clubs with the same owner from taking part in the tournament. León is owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also owns fellow Liga MX side Pachuca.

"In line with article 10 paragraph four of the regulations for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, FIFA has determined that Club León will be removed from the competition, with the club to be admitted as a replacement to be announced in due course," FIFA said in a statement.

The plans for the playoff would be set in motion if León loses its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to be reinstated to the Club World Cup.

CAS announced a hearing would be held on April 23 in Madrid, Spain for both León and Costa Rican side Liga Deportiva Alajuelense to present their arguments. Alajuelense originally submitted the complaint to CAS, citing that León's participation violated the FIFA regulations and arguing they should receive a spot in the tournament instead.

Now, both clubs have until April 2 to gather legal documentation before presenting arguments on the 23rd. No plans of a replacement will be announced until each legal case is resolved.

FIFA has some options for a replacement team. It could simply go with LAFC, who was the runner-up in the competition that Club León won -- the 2023 Concacaf Champions League. Alternately, FIFA could use the highest ranked team in Concacaf that isn't already in the tournament, which is Club América. There had been some precedent for the latter approach, given that the UEFA ranking pathway is how Red Bull Salzburg got into the Club World Cup since Real Madrid had won two of the previous UEFA Champions League titles.

Sources have told ESPN FIFA decided to give both teams a chance, and has opted to hold a one-game playoff with the date and venue to be determined, so long as León's appeal is unsuccessful.

Representatives from FIFA and LAFC declined to comment.

When asked about qualifying to the tournament, Club América head coach Andre Jardine confirmed the team must earn their spot on the field.

"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," Jardine said.

"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."

The 32-team Club World Cup is set to begin on June 14, with the final being held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on July 13.