Until June 10, Ecuador could have lost off the field what it had won on it: its place in the upcoming World Cup Qatar 2022. Bryron Castillo also let go of the tension thanks to FIFA’s favorable ruling for La Tri and the great news he received: he will play for one of the biggest clubs in Liga MX.
They were months of speculation, even terror for the Ecuadorian cause. The Chilean Federation focused all its tools to try to prove that Castillo was Colombian by birth and therefore his alignment with la Tri merited a sanction. FIFA raised expectations by agreeing to investigate the matter and issue a ruling.
In the end, the ruling decided to respect what Ecuador had earned through 18 tough matches in the voracious Conmebol Qualifiers: Byron Castillo and company were protected by FIFA and will bask in the fruits of their labor by being able to compete in Group A of the next FIFA World Cup, in which they will face hosts Qatar, Sadió Mane’s Senegal and Frenkie de Jong’s Netherlands.
Byron Castillo’s new Liga MX team
Castillo had already reached the top of what Ecuador could offer him: belonging to the historic Barcelona of Guayaquil proves it. So it was time for him not only to enjoy Qatar 2022, but also to prove his talent in the competitive Liga MX, as he was signed by a big Mexican club: Club León.
Behind América and Guadalajara, the winningest teams in Mexican soccer, there is a group of squads fighting to climb to the top, and among them is Cruz Azul, Toluca andLeón, this one with its eight league titles won so far, three of them since 2013.
Curiously, at Los Panzas Verdes, Byron Castillo will play alongside a player from the country that tried to leave Ecuador out of Qatar 2022, and that is striker Victor Dávila, who has Chilean nationality. Castillo will have to forget soon the bitter pill he had to swallow and focus on giving his best from July 1, when Liga MX starts its Apertura 2022 Tournament.