Decoding the FIFA case of ‘sanctioning’ Malaysian football for improper naturalization

The issue began when FAM repeatedly submitted files to FIFA from March to June, including birth certificates of the players’ grandparents, showing they had "Malaysian roots."

FIFA responded that "the players appeared eligible" based on the documents received. All seven were then called up to the national team and played in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10, where Malaysia won 4-0, with Rodrigo Holgado and João Figueiredo scoring.

On June 11, FIFA received an official complaint questioning the authenticity of the documents and the speed of the players’ eligibility approval, prompting an investigation.

FIFA investigators collected original birth certificates from authorities in Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and the Netherlands.

The originals showed the players’ grandparents were born abroad, not in Penang, Johor, Melaka, or Sarawak as FAM had submitted.

FIFA concluded the documents were deliberately altered to "fabricate Malaysian origin," which constitutes document forgery under Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

FAM and the seven players—Facundo Garcés, Imanol Machuca, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Rodrigo Holgado, João Figueiredo, and Jon Irazabal—claimed they acted in good faith.

FAM argued that the Malaysian National Registration Department (NRD) had verified origins and approved the naturalization process; that they relied fully on NRD’s verification; and if mistakes occurred, they were administrative errors where staff mistakenly uploaded copies provided by player representatives instead of official NRD documents.

The association also claimed this was only a technical issue without sporting advantage, as the players are lawful Malaysian citizens who never played for other national teams.

FAM requested leniency, citing full cooperation and a clean disciplinary record, and reminded that FIFA had previously indicated the players "appeared eligible."

However, FIFA rejected all these arguments, applying strict liability under Article 22—meaning using forged documents is punishable regardless of intent—and concluded FAM failed to conduct necessary checks.

FIFA noted that NRD, in a statement submitted by FAM, admitted never receiving original handwritten birth certificates but only issued copies based on secondary foreign information, undermining FAM’s claim of legal verification.