FIFA has suspended seven naturalised Malaysian footballers for 12 months and fined the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.8mil) over falsified eligibility documents used during Malaysia’s 4-0 Asia Cup qualifier win against Vietnam in June.
The world football body said its disciplinary committee found Malaysia guilty of breaching Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code concerning falsification of documents.
Each player – Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui and Héctor Alejandro Hevel Serrano – was fined 2,000 Swiss francs and barred from football-related activities for a year.
FAM, however, has vowed to appeal, insisting that all procedures were conducted transparently in line with FIFA guidelines.
Acting president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi stressed that FIFA itself had earlier confirmed the eligibility of the players, who had been cleared to represent Malaysia.
“We will use all legal channels to safeguard the interests of the players and the national team,” he said in a statement.
The case has sparked intense scrutiny of Malaysia’s “heritage player” programme. Among those sanctioned are Facundo Tomás Garcés, a 26-year-old centre-back recently debuting in Spain’s La Liga, and Gabriel Arrocha, a Spanish-born left-back. Other players include Argentina’s Rodrigo Holgado and Spain’s Héctor Hevel, all of whom received citizenship just before the Vietnam match.
The controversy now raises serious questions over Malaysia’s naturalisation strategy, with FAM’s appeal set to determine the future of its recruitment policies. — Sept 27, 2025
Main photo credit: ASEAN FOOTBALL’s Facebook
