Ecuador coach Alfaro feels hurt by Castillo's absence from WC squad

Ecuador coach Gustavo Alfaro said he was hurt by Byron Castillo's absence from his World Cup squad, but that he had to respect that decision.

The Ecuadorean Football Federation (FEF) decided not to include Castillo after Chile brought a claim to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that he had been ineligible to play in World Cup qualifying matches because his true nationality was Colombian.

Although the claim was dismissed, the disputes body ruled that Ecuador would lose three points ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and was fined 100,000 Swiss francs (US$106,000) for using a document containing false information.

"I am very respectful of the decisions, I am a football coach, I speak from my place, my intention was that Byron is with us, he should have been with us," Alfaro told local media in Qatar on Wednesday.

"We are hurt because we know it's unfair."

Alfaro said Castillo was eligible to play in the South American qualifiers and the World Cup, based on court rulings that said the player's document was valid.

"It was a very difficult decision, it was a very difficult 10 hours (...) In the CAS ruling there is an ambiguity," the coach added. "We did everything straight."

Ecuador play in the World Cup's opening match against hosts Qatar on Sunday followed by Group A games against Senegal and the Netherlands.