We breathe better in Quito ten days before the start of the World Cup in Qatar.
This Tuesday, in fact, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) validated Ecuador's qualification for the world competition (November 18 - December 20), which was contested by Chile and Peru.
However, the CAS sanctioned the Ecuadorian federation for the "falsification" of defender Byron Castillo's passport.
Sports justice thus puts an end to several months of a battle started by the two South American federations to recover the place of Ecuador, which will appear well in group A of the tournament in the company of the host country, Senegal and the Countries -Down.
Chile and Peru disputed the validity of the Ecuadorian nationality of Byron Castillo, aligned during the qualifications, due to "countless evidence that the player was born in Colombia, in the city of Tumaco on July 25, 1995 and not on November 10, 1998 in the Ecuadorian city of Playas”, according to the Chilean federation.
Seized in early October, the CAS "partially supported their appeal", indicates the court in a press release, therefore contradicting the Fifa Appeals Commission, which had dismissed them at first instance in June, then on appeal in mid-September.
The three referees say they are convinced "that the date and place of birth" appearing on Byron Castillo's passport are "incorrect" and that he was indeed born in Colombia in 1995, inflicting as such on the Ecuadorian Federation (FEF) a double penalty.
The body will have to pay a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs (100,650 euros) within 30 days.
In addition, his national team will start "with 3 penalty points" the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup co-organized by the United States, Mexico and Canada, decided the CAS.
On the other hand, the court confirms the eligibility of Castillo, therefore the Ecuadorian participation in the World Cup, on the grounds that the nationality of a player "is determined by national laws", and that the Ecuadorian authorities "have recognized" the defender "as an Ecuadorian citizen”.
