GENEVA – Ecuador will play at the 2022 World Cup after FIFA dismissed Chile’s claims that they had fielded an ineligible player in the qualifiers, world football’s governing body said.
The Chilean Football Federation last month said it had proof that Ecuador’s Byron Castillo was born in Tumaco, Colombia in 1995 and not in the Ecuadorean city of General Villamil Playas in 1998 as stated on his official documents.
It claimed the Barcelona of Guayaquil full back, who played in eight of Ecuador’s 18 qualifying games for Qatar, used a false passport and birth certificate.
“After analysing the submissions of all parties concerned and considering all elements brought before it, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to close the proceedings initiated against the FEF (Ecuadorean Football Association),” it said in a statement according to Reuters.
“The present decision remains subject to an appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.”
Ecuador picked up 14 of their 26 points in matches Castillo played. If they had lost points for the games in which Castillo appeared, they would have missed out on a place in Qatar.
Ecuador is one of four South American teams who have already qualified for the World Cup finals later this year, along with Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Fifth-placed Peru faces a playoff next week.
“Today sporting justice has been done,” FEF president Francisco Egas wrote on Twitter. “We always knew we were on the right side, let’s go Ecuador!”
Egas also attached the letter from FIFA which said the Disciplinary Committee had dismissed the charges and closed the disciplinary procedure initiated against the FEF.
Chile finished seventh in qualifying with 19 points but Eduardo Carlezzo, a lawyer for the Chilean FA, had said that if Chile were given the points from the two games against Ecuador in which Castillo played they would have gone to the World Cup in their place.
Ecuador is in Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Senegal and the Netherlands. The World Cup kicks off on November 21.
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