Malaysia is highly likely to be handed a 0-3 defeat against the Vietnam national team.

FIFA dismissed Malaysia's appeal concerning the unlawful naturalization of seven players, making it very probable that Malaysia will be recorded as losing 0-3 to Vietnam.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has officially confirmed that FIFA has rejected their appeal related to the illegal naturalization of seven players. This decision puts Malaysian football at risk of forfeiting matches involving the ineligible players, including the upcoming match against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

According to the latest statement released by FAM, the association has received an official response from FIFA, confirming that Malaysia's appeal was not accepted.

“The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has received the appeal outcome from the International Football Federation (FIFA), which rejected our appeal.

FAM will send a letter to FIFA requesting full details and a written explanation for this decision before proceeding to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

This is the first time FAM has encountered such a situation, and both our legal team and leadership are shocked by this ruling.

However, FAM will persistently fight for the rights of the players and the significance of Malaysian football on the international stage.”

Previously, on October 6th, FIFA released a detailed investigation report stating that the seven players—Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, and Jon Irazabal—have no blood relation to Malaysia, even tracing back to their grandparents. All arguments presented by FAM to validate the naturalization process were dismissed.

With FIFA upholding the ruling and FAM failing in the appeal, it is highly probable that the AFC will impose strict sanctions. According to regulations, any match involving ineligible players will have its result annulled, and the offending team will be handed a 0-3 loss. This means Malaysia is very likely to be defeated 0-3 in their match against Vietnam scheduled for June 2025 in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.