FIFA have stepped efforts to make a decisive decision on the nationality controversy of Ecuador’s star defender Byron Castillo by summoning him to Thursday's hearing of their Appeals Commission.

Following Sportsmail's bombshell revelations that the Ecuador international confessed to being born in Colombia in an official investigation four years ago.

The president of the Chilean FA, Pablo Milad, welcomed Sportsmail's publication of Castillo's interview with investigators in which he admitted to using a false birth certificate, but the player's lawyer claimed the new evidence was not admissible as the row between the two countries escalated.

FIFA also responded to the story by sending an updated request to the Ecuador Football Federation [FEF] for Castillo to attend the hearing in Zurich, writing that 'the Ecuadorian Football Association is requested to ensure that the player Byron David Castillo Segura is made available and attends'.

Their previous communication with FEF had said Ecuador are 'requested to ensure, in the best extent possible' that Castillo attend, which FIFA sources confirmed represented a significant change of emphasis.