CAS postpones ruling on Malaysia's 7 naturalized players in citizenship fraud case

This information has ended speculation that the case result would be announced earlier than the expected date of February 27 (Vietnam time). Due to the case's significance, a press release will be issued. Once the decision is announced, a full explanatory statement will be prepared and sent to the involved parties.

The case involving Malaysia's 7 naturalized players has already generated significant media coverage. In September 2025, FIFA unexpectedly imposed a one-year playing ban on 7 players: Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel.

The 7 naturalized Malaysian players are Joao Figueiredo (originally Brazilian), Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces (Argentinian), Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero (Spanish), and Hector Hevel (Dutch). FIFA's disciplinary committee determined that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) used falsified or invalid civil status documents in the registration files for these 7 individuals, constituting a serious violation of international football principles. Consequently, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (over 11 billion VND) by FIFA. Each implicated player received a 12-month playing ban and an additional fine of 2,000 francs (65 million VND).

FAM subsequently filed an appeal with CAS and is awaiting the ruling to pave the way for the players' early return to competition. All 7 players are key pillars of the national team, having played for various domestic and international clubs before their suspension.

FIFA also ruled that Malaysia forfeit 3-0 in friendly matches against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine due to fielding the aforementioned ineligible naturalized players. These matches fall under FIFA's jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, matches where Malaysia defeated Nepal 2-0 and Vietnam 4-0 in 2025 during the final Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, which are under the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) management, have not yet been addressed.

After numerous developments, the case was brought before CAS, which decided to provisionally suspend FIFA's decision. This means the aforementioned 7 naturalized players are allowed to return to play. However, this does not mean the 7 players or FAM have completely escaped the penalties.

The AFC stated it is closely monitoring the lawsuit and will handle the matter before the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers conclude at the end of March. This includes the return leg match between Vietnam and Malaysia on March 31.

After the final ruling is issued, the AFC will assess and impose additional penalties if FAM loses the case, which may include forfeits, point deductions, fines, or bans preventing the national team and Malaysian clubs from participating in AFC competitions.