Malaysia's questionable naturalization process that may have led to heavy FIFA sanctions

To increase the strength of the national football team, FAM accelerated the naturalization of players under a bloodline policy tracing Malaysian ancestry to grandparents.

Among these players, midfielder Hector Hevel (Netherlands) and defender Gabriel Palmero (Spain) debuted in Malaysia's 2-0 win over Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in March.

By June, the squad expanded with center-back Facundo Garces, striker Rodrigo Holgado and Imanol Machuca (Argentina), Joao Figueireido (Brazil), and center-back Jon Irazabal (Spain), who all played in the 4-0 victory over Vietnam on June 10 at Bukit Jalil Stadium.

FIFA on Sept. 26 sanctioned FAM and the seven naturalized players due to document falsification.

Indonesian football newspaper Bola highlighted several suspicions in the naturalization process: lack of transparency, unusually fast procedures and unclear lineage verification.

Malaysian players celebrate their 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia on June 10, 2025. Photo by Malaysia NT

The bloodline connections of these players were never publicly disclosed, leaving Malaysian fans unaware of their ancestry until FAM's official announcement.

"Malaysian fans didn't know any specific detail of the players' ancestry," Bola wrote. "There were only confusing information from the media."

Malaysia Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail emphasized that all decisions on granting citizenship comply with the federal constitution and undergo meticulous checks, including interviews, biometrics and thorough verification, with applicants required to be present in Malaysia, according to The Star.

The naturalization process for these footballers reportedly took only a few weeks, a stark contrast to the multi-month or even multi-year process for players in Vietnam, Russia, and Indonesia. During an interview with Spanish newspaper El Correo in August, center-back Garces said it only took him a few weeks to obtain Malaysian citizenship.

Meanwhile, in Vietnam, foreign-born players like Filip Nguyen (Czech) and Cao Pendant Quang Vinh (France) had to go through a long process. Even when they played for clubs in Vietnam, it still took them from 6 to 12 months to receive citizenship. Russian-born midfielder Viktor Le had to wait two years.

Foreign-born players in Indonesia also went through a long process, including a hearing at the House of Representatives. The event was broadcast live on social media, Bola reported.

Malaysia's inclusion of South American players has also raised eyebrows. Historical ties between Malaysia and this region are minimal, and these players reportedly were surprised when FAM informed them of their Malaysian ancestry, according to Bola.

Previous naturalized players of Malaysia mostly came from Europe or Australia, such as Matthew Davies (Australia), La'Vere Corbin-Ong (England/Barbados), Junior Eldstal (Sweden), Daniel Ting, Stuart Wilkin, Hong Wan (England), Dion Cools (Belgium) and Nooa Laine (Finland).

FIFA regulations allow eligibility if a player's parent or grandparent was born in the country, or if the player has lived continuously in the federation for at least five years after age 10 or three years before 10. Bola said Malaysia may have exploited a loophole by letting their citizens legally adopt children related to the biological parentage of foreign players from South America and Spain, which may explain why FAM kept their backgrounds confidential.

Malaysian center-back Facundo Garces (R) plays in the 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup, at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia on June 10, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Tu

There are also concerns over falsified birth certificates. The National Registration Department (NRD) announced on Sept. 19 that the players have applied for naturalization based on bloodline from their grandparents. However, NRD said that it was unable to retrieve the original handwritten birth certificate from the archives and instead issued an official copy based on evidence that a birth had occurred, in accordance with current administrative practice.

While legally valid under Malaysian law, FIFA has the right to question if documents fail to comply with federation regulations.

Malaysian news outlet Semuanya Bola (SBWTF) suggests the FIFA sanctions may have been politically timed to divert attention from the Israel controversy. In the same week, UEFA was considering suspending Israel from international competitions due to the current situation in Gaza.

"Malaysia was made a scapegoat, while bigger issues were ignored," the newspaper wrote.

FAM is awaiting the full written ruling from FIFA to file an appeal, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will also review the final decision before determining the outcome of Malaysia’s matches for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. If unsuccessful, FAM could take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).