CAS ruled that Castillo could play but sanctioned the Ecuadorian Federation (FEF) for the “falsification” of his passport.
“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirms the eligibility of player Byron Castillo (Ecuador) imposes sanctions contrary to the Ecuadorian Football Federation for violation of FIFA rules,” the court said in a statement.
The resolution ends months of a war between Chile and Peru to lead Ecuador, which finished fourth in South American World Cup qualifiers, to secure the final automatic regional spot.
They were drawn in Group A alongside hosts Qatar, the Netherlands and Senegal.
Peru finished fifth and lost in the playoffs to Australia. Chile finished seventh, five issues Ecuador.
The complaint involved Castillo, who played 8 of Ecuador’s qualifiers, adding the two games against Chile.
The Chilean Football Federation (FFCH) said there is evidence that Castillo, who plays for Mexico’s Leon, was born in Colombia in July 1995 and not in Playas, Ecuador, in November 1998.
The FFCH alleged “the use of a forged certificate, false declaration of age and false nationality. “
The request was rejected through FIFA in September, bringing the case before CAS which “partially admitted the appeals and annulled the decision of the FIFA Appeal Committee. “
However, the court crucially concluded that Castillo was eligible, regardless of his birth position, because “the Ecuadorian government has identified Byron Castillo as an Ecuadorian citizen. “
The panel, however, was “comfortably convinced that the player’s date and place of birth were incorrect since the player was born in Tumaco, Colombia, on June 25, 1995,” leading CAS to hold the FEF responsible “for an act of forgery. “. “
Ecuador must pay a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs (100,650 euros) within 30 days, and the men’s team will begin “with 3 penalty points” the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup, co-sponsored by the United States and Mexico and Canada.