FIFA causes confusion by postponing the penalty decision for Malaysia

The official sanction from FIFA against the Malaysian Football Association will not be issued in the coming days, leaving both Malaysia and the involved teams uncertain.

As of the morning of November 1, 2025, Vietnam time, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has yet to receive any official notification from FIFA regarding the investigation process. However, according to Malaysian media Piang Shankly, FAM held an online meeting with FIFA’s Appeal Committee on Thursday night (October 30) at 10:00 PM local time.

International sports media GSIO reported that FIFA will not stop at this session. The global football authority is preparing a special independent hearing for the 7 players involved in the case. The online meeting on October 30 was the initial step in the investigation. During this forum, FAM representatives had the chance to present their views, submit evidence, and answer questions related to the allegations of using fraudulent documents by the 7 naturalized players.

A source close to the Malaysian Football Association, cited by local media, stated: "FIFA seems determined to ensure absolute fairness and avoid any rushed decisions, especially after new evidence emerged from Argentina." Therefore, the final decision might not be made in the next few days, and not immediately following the first hearing.

Thus, FIFA is believed to be gathering all possible evidence and documents related to the case of Malaysia’s illegal naturalization of 7 players. The release of very credible evidence by Argentine media may have caused FIFA to delay the timing of the penalty announcement and require additional time for investigation.

FIFA’s delay in issuing the penalty has heightened Malaysia’s worries and uncertainty. If the documents presented by Argentine media prove to be true, Malaysia could face harsher sanctions beyond fines, possibly being disqualified from the Asian Cup qualifiers, and individuals involved might be banned from football activities for 1 to 3 years, similar to previous cases.

Previously, Capital de Noticias revealed the original birth certificate of Facundo Garcés’s grandfather, one of the 7 players found to have forged documents to naturalize for Malaysia’s national team. As FIFA announced, the great-grandparents of this player’s grandfather had no connections to Malaysia at all.