OFFICIAL: FIFA issues final verdict on Malaysia Football Association

FIFA has formally announced the result regarding the Malaysia Football Association's appeal.

Recently, the Malaysia Football Association (FAM) released an official statement about the appeal result to FIFA concerning the illegal naturalization of 7 players. Accordingly, FIFA has rejected FAM’s appeal. The full text of FAM’s statement is as follows:

"The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has received the appeal decision from the International Football Federation (FIFA), in which our appeal was dismissed.

FAM will send a letter to FIFA requesting detailed information and the written reasons behind this decision before proceeding with the next step of appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

This is the first time FAM has encountered such a situation, and both our legal team and leadership are shocked by this ruling.

However, FAM will continue to firmly fight for the rights of the players and the significance of Malaysian football on the international stage."

According to FIFA’s conclusion, the 7 players — Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vítor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano — along with the Malaysia Football Association, violated Article 22 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, related to falsification and forgery of documents to legitimize their eligibility for the Malaysian national team.

After reviewing all documents, evidence, and conducting a hearing, FIFA’s Appeals Committee decided to reject the entire appeal and uphold the sanctions previously imposed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, specifically:

– The Malaysia Football Association (FAM) is fined 350,000 Swiss Francs (CHF);

– Each of the 7 violating players is fined 2,000 CHF;

– These players remain suspended from all football activities for 12 months.

According to FIFA’s announcement, FAM and the players received the decision today. They have 10 days to request the detailed decision document, and then 21 days to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Malaysian national team is still allowed to play the remaining matches in the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, under AFC disciplinary regulations, Malaysia faces the risk of a 0-3 forfeit loss in matches against Nepal and Vietnam due to fielding ineligible players.

The final decision on this matter will be made by the AFC — the Asian Cup organizer — after FAM completes all related legal procedures. This process is expected to conclude before March 31, 2026, the end of the final qualifying round, to ensure proper determination of teams qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

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