Naturalization of players seen through the Malaysian football scandal: A shortcut yet a perilous path

The scandal of '7 illegally naturalized players' in Malaysia is a warning for the entire Southeast Asian region. The shortcut called naturalization—a seemingly smart strategy to raise standards—turns out to be full of traps when transparency and long-term planning are missing.

1. From a technical perspective, the immediate advantages of naturalization are evident: naturalized players bring superior physical attributes, solid fitness, international match experience, and the ability to influence games—elements often limited in local players.

Thanks to these players, many teams have "transformed rapidly" within a few years. Malaysia once drew 3-3 with South Korea at the 2023 Asian Cup, while Indonesia dramatically improved with a Dutch-inspired strategy and came very close to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals. Yet, this "peak" caused some football systems to fall into a "short-term euphoria." Overreliance on naturalization led them to forget the essential task of building sustainable foundations—youth training, coaching structures, and development philosophies with distinct identities.

Malaysia’s case is the clearest example: from the ambition to rise, they crossed the line by "bending nationality rules" for short-term gain. As a result, FAM faced sanctions, players were banned, and their reputation was severely tarnished. What was once a "historic win" against Vietnam has now become a blemish in the nation’s football history.