FIFA has summoned Byron Castillo to testify: the hearing will be next week.

A 75 days before the most important sports event in the world, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, takes place, the case of Byron Castillo, his nationality, and the possible disqualification of the Ecuadorian national team from the tournament has not yet been resolved. On June 10th, FIFA, through its Disciplinary Committee, announced in an official statement that they had made the decision to close the case, but that the Chilean Football Federation could appeal, and they did.

After filing the appeal, crucial weeks are approaching for the outcome of this story. In order to reach a resolution once and for all, FIFA summoned player Byron Castillo for an inquiry to truly explain his citizenship situation and whether all his birth documents are legal.

The date set for the hearing is September 15th, and a few weeks later, the final decision of the world football governing body will be known. In an interview with The Athletic, lawyer Eduardo Carlezzo from the Chilean federation stated that in this appeal, they have presented compelling evidence that the player was born in Colombia and, therefore, Ecuador should not go to the World Cup:

"We have provided a significant amount of evidence to FIFA that proves that the player was born in Colombia and his Ecuadorian birth certificate is false. Finally, on September 15th, Byron Castillo has the opportunity to explain the situation and then, in the interest of fair play, justice can take its course."

Among this evidence are two birth certificates, one issued in Tumaco, Colombia, and another issued in Ecuador, where several inconsistencies are present, such as a three-year difference in the birthdate. For these reasons, members of the Chilean federation are asking for the process to be expedited, but through Carlezzo, they expressed their gratitude for being called to appear:

"We thank FIFA for this clarity regarding our appeal hearing and for summoning Byron Castillo to answer the many questions they must have about his eligibility and, therefore, Ecuador's qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2022."

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However, the situation becomes tenser on the accused side. In an interview with Radio La Redonda, the player's lawyer, Andrés Holguín, stated that Byron is not absolutely obligated to comply with FIFA's summons, so there is a possibility that he will not appear:

"He is not legally obliged to appear, he is not a party. In a trial, if my witnesses decide not to go, I cannot force them. It's not like the United States... This 'game' can be played for three consecutive days, ten times, and the result will still be the same. If Mr. Carlezzo wants to sell smoke to his people, this result will still be favorable to the Ecuadorian Federation by a landslide."

While Holguin's statements are primarily based on defending Castillo from this uncomfortable situation, the possibility of not attending the hearing raises doubts about whether there is actually any evidence that can prove that Byron is not Ecuadorian and complicate his presence in the global event.

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