FIFA Sanctions Malaysia for Naturalizing Footballers

FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has announced severe sanctions against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven players found guilty of violating Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which concerns forgery and falsification of documents.

The investigation involved Spanish, Brazilian, and Argentine players: Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vítor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irastabal Iraurgui, and Héctor Alejandro Hevel Serrano.

According to FIFA, FAM submitted falsified documents when applying for eligibility approval for these players to represent the Malaysian national team. All seven took the field in a match against Vietnam on June 10, 2025, during the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. A complaint regarding their legitimacy was filed with FIFA immediately after the game.

Following its review, the Disciplinary Committee ruled as follows:

• • FAM fined 350,000 Swiss francs.

• • Each player fined 2,000 Swiss francs.

• • Players suspended from all football activities for 12 months.

• • The matter of their eligibility for Malaysia’s national team referred to FIFA’s Football Tribunal.

All seven had obtained Malaysian citizenship in early 2025 and were promptly included in the national squad. However, under FIFA rules, they should have played at least five years in the domestic league before becoming eligible. The only exception is for players obtaining citizenship based on descent (such as Eduard Spertsyan for Armenia), which is not the case here.

Previously, Malaysia had abided by this rule correctly—for instance, Argentine Sergio Agüero (31) was eligible to represent Malaysia only after five seasons in the domestic league. This time, however, the Malaysians tried to cheat.