Malaysian football fans holding their breath waiting for FIFA’s final ruling

FIFA was expected to announce the appeal result on Oct. 30 or 31. However, as of Monday, Nov. 3, no decision has been made and no one in Malaysia knows the exact time for the final verdict to be revealed.

"Fans across the country have been anxiously peering over their phones, looking for news of the FIFA judgment on Malaysia," New Straits Times reported.

Local TV channel Astro Arena reported that tension is increasing, as fans have been holding their breath waiting since Oct. 30, but there has been no response.

"It's not easy to sit and wait. Some people have been staying up from midnight until early morning waiting for the result," it said.

Malaysian fans at the New Laos National Stadium during the 3-0 win over Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on Oct. 9, 2025. Photo by Malaysia NT

Club Atletico Velez Sarfield, which manage Imanol Machuca, one of the seven suspended players, revealed that FIFA is expected to make the announcement on Nov. 3 or 4.

Sabado Velez, a media outlet close to Velez Sarfield, reported that a hearing had taken place on Oct. 30. Machuca's defense team presented their arguments to the FIFA Appeals Committee (FAC).

"People who are close to Machuca are optimistic. They expect everything to be fine," a source told Sabado Velez.

"A decision requires more deliberations and considerations of the facts and law, which may include further submissions or clarifications from both lawyers," lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli told Timesport. "The committee, or some of its members, are engaged in other matters not related to this case, or the committee or some of its members are ill or unwell.

"There were extensions of time given to either or both lawyers to prepare and reply to the submissions, which is normal."

The lawyer also cited Article 60 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which gives the appellant the right to present evidence and propose a list of witnesses. FAM is accused of submitting false documents, so they are allowed to resubmit the correct documents. The association is also allowed to object or appeal FAC’s decision to use the original birth certificate as evidence.

"This comprehensive review process, combined with the potential for new evidence and detailed legal exchanges, underscores why such decisions often require more time than initially anticipated," Nik Erman added.

After the appeal result, FAM will have 10 days to submit a request to FAC for a detailed appeal report, from the date of the decision. They then have 21 days to submit an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The average processing time for a CAS case from 2019 to 2024 is about 5.7 months.

Malaysia will still be allowed to play the next matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, where they are currently leading with 12 points after four matches. However, according to the regulations, they could be punished with 0-3 losses for using ineligible players against Nepal and Vietnam.

The final decision will be made by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the organizer of the Asian Cup, after FAM has completed all steps in the legal process. However, AFC secretary general Windsor John Paul said the process would not last beyond March 31, 2026, when the qualifiers concluded, so that the confederation can announce the teams for the main event.