What will Malaysia do next after FIFA rejects the appeal

Following FIFA's rejection of the appeal about the naturalization of 7 players, FAM is expected to escalate the case to CAS.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is currently considering its next steps after officially receiving the ruling from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) concerning the appeal over the illegal naturalization of 7 players.

According to the announcement issued by FIFA today, all of FAM's appeals have been rejected, meaning the sanctions against Malaysia remain in effect.

Under FIFA regulations, FAM has 10 days to request the detailed written decision outlining the grounds and legal arguments for the rejection. Upon receiving this document, FAM and the involved players will have an additional 21 days to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, the highest authority for resolving international sports disputes.

In an official statement, Acting FAM President Datuk Wira Mohd Yusoff Haji Mahadi said the association will comply with the legal procedures and will request the detailed decision from FIFA.

“We will wait for the full explanation document from FIFA before deciding on the next step. It is possible that FAM will file an appeal to CAS if deemed necessary to protect our legal rights,” Mr. Yusoff emphasized.

The issue originated from the naturalization process of 7 foreign players including Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and two others. The investigation results released by FIFA on October 6 revealed that these players have no blood relation to Malaysia, not even tracing back to their grandparents. All evidence provided by FAM to prove their origins was rejected.

FIFA’s ruling puts FAM and Malaysian football in a difficult position. Beyond damaging their reputation, FAM faces the risk of losing matches in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) involving these ineligible naturalized players, including the match against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers last June. If this happens, Vietnam could be awarded a 3-0 victory and gain full points.