Today, the International Football Federation (FIFA) initiated disciplinary proceedings against Ecuador, due to the suspicion that during the World Cup qualifiers, a player who was not its citizen played for that national team.
If Fifa finds Ecuador guilty in this case, it would be eliminated from this year's World Cup.
Fifa launched disciplinary proceedings after Chile lodged an official complaint last Sunday claiming Colombian footballer Byron Castillo was ineligible to play for Ecuador in qualifying matches.
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If Chile's claims turn out to be true, Ecuador will lose the qualifying matches in which Castillo played with an official score of 0:3.
Ecuador finished the qualification in fourth place and secured a direct placement in Qatar, where it should play in a group with Qatar, the Netherlands and Senegal.
Chile finished the qualifiers in seventh place, but could qualify if they get six points from their matches against Ecuador.
Castillo did not play the games against fifth-placed Peru and sixth-placed Colombia.
Regardless of the outcome of the case, Peru has a chance to make it to the World Cup, as it is due to play an intercontinental play-off match against Australia or the United Arab Emirates on June 13.
FIFA said it had asked the Peruvian Football Association to comment on the Castillo case.
"FIFA will consider the allegations related to the possible falsification of the documents granting the footballer Ecuadorian citizenship," said the FIFA statement.
Fifa's decision should be made in the next month.
Ecuador's football federation rejected Chile's claims and insisted that Castillo is a legal citizen of Ecuador.
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