OFFICIAL: 7 naturalized Malaysian players allowed to return to play

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has authorized 7 unlawfully naturalized Malaysian players to continue competing pending a final ruling.

On the evening of January 26, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) approved the suspension of sanctions against 7 national team players: Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal, and Héctor Hevel.

This decision means the 12-month football ban imposed by FIFA on these 7 naturalized Malaysian players is temporarily lifted, allowing them to pursue their careers and participate in any football-related activities until a final verdict on their appeal is issued by CAS.

On January 8, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) officially filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)and simultaneously requested a provisional measure for the 7 players — Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado, and Facundo Garces — to continue playing for their clubs while awaiting the final decision. This move aimed to protect the players’ professional rights during the ongoing dispute.

Previously, in September 2025, FIFA imposed penalties accusing FAM of using forged documents in confirming the eligibility of the naturalized players. FIFA fined FAM 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately 11.5 billion VND), suspended each player for 12 months, and fined each 2,000 Swiss francs.

Notably, CAS has agreed to suspend the sanctions against the 7 Malaysian players. Speaking to Timesport, FAM CEO Rob Friend stated: “We submitted the appeal on time along with a request for provisional relief so that the players can continue playing for their clubs during the hearing.” He emphasized this is a common CAS procedure to safeguard temporary rights before a final ruling.

Before escalating the case to CAS, FAM and the players had appealed to FIFA’s Appeal Committee but were rejected on November 3, 2025. Therefore, pursuing the case at CAS is considered the correct procedural step.

With the latest CAS decision, the 7 players can temporarily return to club matches while awaiting the appeal outcome. However, it should be noted that CAS allowing them to play again does not mean the case is closed, nor does it directly affect whether the Malaysian national team will forfeit against Vietnam’s national team.