OFFICIAL: Malaysia will still participate in the entire Asian Cup qualifiers

Although their appeal to FIFA was unsuccessful, Malaysia's national team remains permitted to play through the 2027 Asian Cup qualification rounds.

Malaysian football suffered a major blow after FIFA upheld sanctions against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven naturalized players due to a document forgery scandal causing damages.

In a statement on Monday evening, the global football governing body confirmed that their appeals committee rejected all appeals filed by FAM and the players—Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel—who were found guilty of violating Article 22 of FIFA's Disciplinary Code related to forgery and fraud.

However, for now, the Malaysian team is still allowed to play the remaining matches in the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. According to AFC disciplinary regulations, Malaysia faces the risk of forfeiting 0-3 losses in matches against Nepal and Vietnam due to fielding ineligible players.

The final decision on this matter will be made by the AFC—the organizer of the Asian Cup—after FAM completes all related legal procedures. This process is expected to conclude by March 31, 2026, the end of the final qualifying round, to ensure a clear determination of the teams qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

With a high likelihood of being handed 0-3 defeats in the two matches against Vietnam and Nepal, Malaysia is almost certain to lose any chance of advancing in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Nevertheless, they will still complete the two remaining fixtures—against Nepal in November and particularly the away match versus Vietnam in March 2026.

According to FIFA's announcement, FAM and the players received the decision today. They have 10 days to request the detailed ruling and then 21 days to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Unless CAS overturns the penalty (which is unlikely), Malaysian football will face a severe reputational crisis on the international stage.