The Qatar 2022 qualifiers could take an unexpected turn in their standings. Although the last matchday ended in late March, the alleged improper registration of Ecuadorian player Byron Castillo could leave the Tri without a spot in the World Cup and directly benefit another country.
The name of Byron Castillo, player of Barcelona de Guayaquil, continues to make headlines in the sports world. His presence in matches with his national team could lead to a deduction of points for the Tricolor. That's why a South American federation has already taken action and sent a letter.
Which countries would benefit from Byron Castillo's alleged improper registration?
Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Argentina would be the teams benefitting from the points if it is proved that Byron Castillo is Colombian rather than Ecuadorian. However, the team that would benefit the most is Chile, as they would directly qualify for Qatar 2022.
Indeed, the Chilean Football Federation has already sent a letter to FIFA to denounce Byron Castillo's improper registration. If they are right, the table would look like this.
- Brazil: 45 points
- Argentina: 39 points
- Uruguay: 28 points
- Chile: 24 points
- Peru: 24 points
- Colombia: 23 points
- Paraguay: 19 points
- Bolivia: 18 points
- Venezuela: 13 points
- Ecuador: 12 points
It's worth noting that Peru would not benefit from Byron Castillo's alleged improper registration, as the player in question did not play in any of the two matches between Ecuador and Peru in the qualifiers.
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The Ecuadorian response
In Ecuador, they claim that the mentioned player is originally from Playas, near Guayaquil, and the ID card that existed for a Byron Castillo from Colombia belonged to a completely different person unrelated to the footballer.
The issue is under investigation, but all eyes on the continent are watching its resolution, as more than one national team wants to take advantage and request the points in order to "sneak into" the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Italy follows the Byron Castillo case
According to Argentina's newspaper Olé, the European team would have a small chance of qualifying for the upcoming World Cup. According to this media outlet, if the claim against Castillo is accepted, FIFA could choose to give the World Cup ticket to the team that is better placed in the FIFA Ranking, which would be the Azzurra.