The complaint centred around Byron Castillo, a defender who played in eight of Ecuador's qualifiers for the World Cup. The Chilean football federation (FFCH) said there was evidence that Castillo, who plays for Leon in Mexico, was born in Colombia in July 1995 and not in Playas, Ecuador in November 1998.
The FFCH alleged "use of a falsified birth certificate, false declaration of age and false nationality". Following a hearing on Thursday, FIFA's Appeal Committee confirmed an earlier ruling by the Disciplinary Committee. "On the basis of the documents presented, the player was to be considered as holding permanent Ecuadorian nationality," FIFA said.
The FFCH reacted with fury, saying that Castillo had refused to appear at the hearing. "This is a dark day for football and for the credibility of the system.
The footballing world heard a player who helped Ecuador qualify for the FIFA World Cup admit he was born in Colombia and that he gained an Ecuadorian passport using false information.