Malaysia once rejected naturalization for a player whose great-grandmother was Malaysian.

Having previously denied Dutch defender Mats Deijl due to ineligibility, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is now embroiled in a major scandal after FIFA uncovered forged naturalization documents for seven foreign players.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is facing severe criticism after being found involved in a scandal where fake naturalization papers were created for seven foreign players to qualify them for the national team. This incident has sparked public outrage, especially since FAM had earlier openly rejected Dutch defender Mats Deijl for failing to meet FIFA’s eligibility criteria.

What has angered the Malaysian public is the inconsistency in FAM’s actions. Previously, the organization publicly emphasized transparency and strict adherence to FIFA regulations when rejecting Mats Deijl, a defender from the Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles, for not meeting the national team eligibility requirements.

According to documents released by FAM at that time, Deijl had Malaysian ancestry through his great-grandmother who was born in 1893 in Singapore (then part of the Malay Federation). However, FIFA clarified that blood relations are only recognized up to grandparents, so this player was ineligible to represent Malaysia. FAM promptly complied with the decision and declared that they “always respect international regulations.”

Ironically, FAM is now caught in the biggest scandal in the history of Malaysian football, having approved falsified documents for seven players to gain naturalization and strengthen the national team. This act not only severely violates FIFA rules but also damages the reputation of Malaysian football to an unprecedented low.

The seven players—Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano—were granted naturalization by FAM on the grounds that “either their grandfather or grandmother was born in Malaysia.” This allowed them to be eligible to play in the match between Malaysia and Vietnam during the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, held on June 10, 2025, at Bukit Jalil Stadium.

However, after FIFA conducted verification with the involved countries, all information regarding the birthplaces of these players’ ancestors was found to be fabricated. The countries claimed as the origin of their Malaysian roots denied the data provided by FAM. This led FIFA to officially launch an investigation, suspend the playing rights of all seven players, and impose heavy penalties on FAM for document fraud in the naturalization process.

Regional experts warn that if this case is not handled transparently and seriously, Malaysia risks being banned from international competitions for an extended period. Once regarded as a model association for compliance, FAM has now become the center of a scandal shaking Asian football.