Ecuador's World Cup Place Confirmed As FIFA Dismisses Chile Complaint About Byron Castillo

The Ecuadorian national team WILL compete in Qatar at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Ecuador's place in the competition was thrown into doubt after Chile filed a complaint to FIFA alleging that Byron Castillo had been ineligible for the eight World Cup qualifiers he played in.

Chile claimed that Castillo had been born in Colombia, not Ecuador, and that he had used a fake birth certificate to fool FIFA and CONMEBOL.

Had FIFA found in Chile's favor, it was likely that all eight qualifiers in which Castillo had featured would be declared as 3-0 losses for Ecuador.

If the results of those games had been altered as such then Chile would have jumped from seventh to fourth in South America's qualifying table and potentially taken Ecuador's place at Qatar 2022.

Byron Castillo (left) pictured playing for Ecuador against Chile in a World Cup qualifier for Qatar 2022

IMAGO/Photosport/Andres Pina

But FIFA dismissed Chile's claims about Castillo on Friday.

World soccer's governing body published a statement to explain that, after "considering all elements", it had decided to "close proceedings" against the Ecuadorian Football Federation.

Ecuador will play in World Cup Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Senegal and Holland.

The winners of Group A are due to play the runner-up from Group B and vice versa in the first knockout round.

Group B is comprised of the USMNT, England, Wales and Iran.