Ecuador to play in 2022 World Cup, but lose points for 2026 qualifiers
Baku, November 10, AZERTAC
Ecuador will be able to participate in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Tuesday, but the South American team will have to begin the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup with three points fewer than other competitors, according to CGTN.
Ecuador secured qualification for Qatar 2022 as the fourth seed from CONMEBOL. Chile, which ranked seventh in the tournament and missed the World Cup, complained to CAS that Byron Castillo, who appeared in eight of Ecuador's qualifiers, including two against Chile, was not eligible to play.
Ecuador said Castillo was born in General Villamil Playas in 1998, but Chile claimed that he was born in Tumaco, Colombia, in 1995. "Since the nationality of a player with a national association is determined by national laws (subject to time limits in case of a change of sporting nationality, which was not the case here), Byron Castillo was eligible to play ... in the preliminary round of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022," CAS said.
However, since there was false information in the document provided by the Ecuadorean Football Federation (FEF), which violated Article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, Ecuador will receive a punishment of three-point reduction in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and a fine of 100,000 Swiss Francs (about $101,605).
Ecuador are in Group A with the host Qatar, Senegal and the Netherlands in the coming World Cup that will begin on November 20. Ecuador will face Qatar in the opener of the tournament at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. The game was originally scheduled to happen on November 21, but moved forward by one day.
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