Ecuador to keep World Cup spot following FIFA investigation

FIFA rejected a complaint from Chile

Ecuador will keep their place in the Qatar World Cup after FIFA rejected a complaint from the Chilean Football Federation over an ineligible player. Chile complained about defender Byron Castillo, who they claimed had falsified documents to allow him to play for Ecuador, despite being born in Colombia. According to TV Azteca on Thursday, Eduardo Carlezzo, the lawyer representing Chile in the ongoing court case, has said that he has found sufficient evidence to prove that Castillo is not eligible to play for Ecuador. Fingerprints are rumoured to be absent from Castillo's document that states he was born in Ecuador, with Chile accusing their South American neighbours of "rigging" the process.

Ecuador faced a points deduction if Castillo was found guilty

If FIFA agreed with the lawyer's findings, there was every possibility that Ecuador could be deducted a point from every qualifying game that Castillo featured in. Castillo had played in all eight qualifying games and that punishment would have found Ecuador fall out the qualifying spots - with Chile replacing them at their expense.

FIFA confirm Ecuador will play at World Cup

But FIFA released a statement on Friday that they had ruled in favour of Ecuador and Castillo and that they would keep their place at Qatar. They said: "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has rendered its decision in relation to the potential ineligibility of the player Byron David Castillo Segura with regard to his participation in eight qualifying matches of the national team of the Ecuadorian Football Association (FEF) in the preliminary competition of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.