Spain's largest newspaper exposes the Malaysian star

07/10/2025 12:51:00 GoalGuru

MARCA states that defender Facundo Garces misrepresented his Malaysian origins following FIFA’s verification that the papers provided by the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) were counterfeit.

MARCA - Spain’s leading sports daily - recently published investigative documents revealing that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) fabricated records regarding player Facundo Garces’ background to legitimize his naturalization, enabling him to qualify for the national team.

According to MARCA, defender Facundo Garces, currently playing for La Liga club Alaves, has no Malaysian roots as claimed by FAM in their submission to FIFA. The documents stating that Garces’ grandfather, Carlos Reguilon Fernandez, was born in Penang (Malaysia) were confirmed by FIFA to be “forged” after an independent investigation.

FIFA-collected evidence proves that Fernandez was actually born in Villa María Selva, Santa Fe (Argentina), which is also Lionel Messi’s hometown. “The discrepancy between the genuine birth certificate and the version provided by FAM is irrefutable evidence. The place of birth was altered to bypass player eligibility rules,” MARCA quoted from FIFA’s ruling.

MARCA confirms that Facundo Garces’ grandfather was born in Argentina

MARCA reports that this action seriously breaches Article 5 of the regulations on international player eligibility, which requires a player to represent a country only if a parent or grandparent was born there. FAM’s deliberate alteration of the records amounts to “direct manipulation of personal data for sporting purposes.”

“FAM submitted forged documents to legitimize Garces’ participation in the Malaysian team. This was intentional and cannot be dismissed as an administrative error,” MARCA emphasized.

The issue arose when Garces was called up and played for Malaysia against Vietnam in June 2025. Just one day later, FIFA received an anonymous complaint questioning the true origins of seven naturalized Malaysian players, including Garces. The extended investigation revealed that most birth records provided by FAM showed signs of “digital alteration” and “did not match international administrative data.”

Garces and six other players have been suspended for 12 months and fined

MARCA added that Garces has since left Spain and returned to Kuala Lumpur to cooperate with FAM in preparing an appeal, though the chances of overturning the verdict are nearly zero. “FIFA possesses sufficient legal and administrative proof to confirm the fraud. Any appeal efforts can only delay the punishment, not erase the violation,” the Spanish newspaper commented.

This scandal has severely damaged Malaysian football’s reputation. International media have collectively condemned FAM for exploiting loopholes in player management systems to quickly strengthen the national team. Meanwhile, Malaysian fans expressed disappointment upon learning that the player praised as a “model naturalized athlete” actually has no connection to their country.

“This is no longer just a player’s fault but an organized misconduct,” MARCA concluded. “Garces’ case serves as a warning to all federations: football cannot survive on forged birth certificates.”

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