Malaysian football buried in 'rubble' after FIFA upholds sanctions

Malaysia national team members after the 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Tu

On Monday night, the FIFA Appeal Committee (FAC) announced that it would uphold the decision by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee (FDC) on Sept. 26, which fined FAM 350,000 Swiss francs. The seven naturalized players were fined 2,000 Swiss francs each and banned from participating in all football activities for 12 months.

"With FIFA's verdict now final, the message could not be clearer - forgery has no place in world football, and Malaysia's governing body will now have to rebuild its image from the rubble," New Straits Times wrote.

Malaysian outlet Scoop commented: "This saga has cast a long shadow over FAM’s naturalization policy, drawing scrutiny from all corners. The players have been sidelined since the initial disciplinary action was announced in September."

Free Malaysia Today (FMT) said that FIFA's final ruling did not just end an appeal; it has exposed an era of deception.

"The decision closes one door but opens another, one that leads straight into Malaysia’s own house. What began as a sporting scandal is now a test of national integrity," the newspaper wrote.

According to FMT, the world once saw Malaysia as a rising football nation, full of spirit, desire and discipline, but now buried under lies.

"The bans will expire. The fines will be paid. But the loss of trust - in how Malaysia governs itself - will linger far longer," it added. "The world has seen Malaysia cheat in plain sight. What it watches now is whether Malaysia can summon the courage to clean itself."

Malaysia was sanctioned for violations related to the falsification of documents for the seven naturalized players. In the documents that FAM sent to FIFA, the birth certificates stated that the grandparents of this group were born in Malaysia, a compulsory factor for them to be naturalized and represent the national team based on bloodline.

However, after receiving complaints from a third party and conducting an investigation, FDC found original birth certificates that show the grandparents were not born in Malaysia, but in Argentina, the Netherlands and Spain.

FDC accused FAM of being careless in authentication, deliberately forging or falsifying documents and evading the law.

In response, FAM has been maintaining its innocence. After the complaint was rejected, they announced that they would fight to the end by filing a lawsuit with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It is expected that FAM will have 10 days to submit a petition to FAC for a detailed appeal report, and then 21 days to submit a lawsuit to CAS.

Malaysia are still allowed to play the next matches in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, where they are at the top with 12 points after four matches. However, according to the tournament regulations, they can suffer 0-3 forfeits, or even be disqualified, for using ineligible players in the matches against Nepal and Vietnam.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Asian Cup organizer, will make the final decision after all legal steps are completed and the final verdict is made.

AFC secretary general Windsor John Paul stated the process must conclude by March 31, 2026, the end of the qualifying round, to finalize the list of qualified teams for the tournament.