
CF Pachuca president Armando Martinez says his club are not considering signing James Rodriguez or Andres Guardado for its Club World Cup campaign in June.
Rodriguez, 33, joined Club Leon in January following the termination of his Rayo Vallecano contract, and was set to take part in the summer tournament alongside Guardado until it was announced in March that Leon were not eligible to play after failing to meet FIFA’s multi-club ownership criteria.
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Leon had qualified for the expanded Club World Cup after winning the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2023. Leon is owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also controls fellow Liga MX side Pachuca, which itself qualified for the competition after winning the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.
“No, neither Guardado nor James are being considered to reinforce Pachuca for the World Cup,” Pachuca president Armando Martinez told ESPN, following reports that the pair could move to Leon’s sister club.
Martinez added Pachuca would look at “possibilities” of signing players with “other clubs in the league” but the team has yet to finalise names or positions they would like to strengthen.
FIFA confirmed on May 6 that Los Angeles FC will play Club America in a playoff match on May 31 to determine who will take Leon’s spot in the Club World Cup, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected appeals made by the Mexican team.
Speaking in March, Rodriguez called the decision a “grave injustice” and argued that “football would be stained” by Leon’s absence.
Rodriguez has played for Everton, Al Rayyan, Olympiacos, Sao Paulo and Rayo since leaving Real Madrid in 2020. He has remained an important player for Colombia, winning the Golden Ball at the 2024 Copa America.
Guardado, meanwhile, has played 37 times for Leon after his contract was terminated with Real Betis in January 2024. He remains the most-capped Mexico men’s player of all time with 182 international appearances.
Pachuca have been drawn to face Rodriguez’s former side Real Madrid in Group H at the Club World Cup, alongside Al Hilal and Red Bull Salzburg. The tournament begins on June 14 and the final is set for July 13.
(Photo of James Rodriguez: Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)
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