Ecuador are set to take on the Ivory Coast, Cape Verde and Germany at this summer’s World Cup and will be able to call upon one of their most high-profile stars after his ban was struck off
Moises Caicedo
Moises Caicedo will not miss Ecuador's opening World Cup game(Image: Getty Images)
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Moises Caicedo will NOT serve a ban at this summer’s World Cup, FIFA have confirmed. The Chelsea midfielder had a nervous wait to determine whether he would miss Ecuador’s first game at the tournament at the Ivory Coast.
He had been banned following a red card he was awarded in his nation’s final qualifier against Argentina back in September. Usually, he would serve a one-match ban for his dismissal but FIFA have decided not to enforce that.
A bureau consisting of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as well as six continental football chiefs, have decided that any sanctions picked up in qualifiers would not be served at the tournament itself.
Instead, their suspensions will be served in other international competitions after the World Cup. A statement from the game’s governing body read: “Single yellow cards and pending one- or two-match suspensions… are not carried over to the final competition.
It added that FIFA wanted to ensure teams "can compete with their strongest possible squads on the biggest stage of men’s international football."
Other beneficiaries from the decision include former Manchester City star, Nicolas Otamendi, who was also sent off in the game between Argentina and Ecuador. Qatar defender Tarek Salman will also be available for his nation despite being sent off against United Arab Emirates in October.
FIFA’s decisions come after Cristiano Ronaldo was spared a ban despite a red card against the Republic of Ireland in November. The Portuguese forward was handed a three-game suspension and has served one of those but the remaining two games are deferred for a year.
He and Caicedo will now be available for their respective countries this summer. Speaking ahead of the tournament, the Chelsea man said: "It's a badge of pride.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo was sent off but escaped a World Cup ban(Image: Getty Images)
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"Not everyone gets to play in the World Cup, so we’ve got to take pride in having qualified. Having said that, we know that it’s a short competition and we have to make the most of it. We can’t settle for just qualifying: we know we’re capable of more.
"We're well aware of the quality in our ranks, and we’re raring to take that next step so that the days when simply qualifying was the be-all and end-all are confined to the past."
He added: "I don't want to get into how far we could go, but what I can tell you is that we’re going to savour the occasion and try to perform to the best of our ability. We'll seek to impose our game and will give absolutely everything.
"We're all working hard with our clubs and every time we report for international duty, which is vital, as it'll allow us to hit the ground running once the World Cup comes around."
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