FIFA has imposed sanctions on Malaysia’s national football team, suspending seven foreign-born players and fining the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for allegedly falsifying citizenship documents. The players, including Facundo Tomas Garces and Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, were accused of using doctored birth certificates to claim eligibility under FIFA’s ‘grandfather rule,’ which allows players to represent countries where their parents or grandparents were born. FIFA’s investigation revealed that the players’ grandparents were actually born in countries like Argentina, Spain, and Brazil, contradicting the submitted documents. The governing body labeled the act as ‘a form of cheating.’
In late September, FIFA suspended the players for one year and fined them 2,000 Swiss francs each. Additionally, FAM was ordered to pay 350,000 Swiss francs. FAM has denied intentional wrongdoing, attributing the discrepancies to an ‘administrative error’ and vowing to appeal the decision. The association maintains that the players are legitimate Malaysian citizens.
The controversy arose after Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam in June, which prompted questions about the players’ eligibility. This incident has sparked outrage among Malaysian football fans and tarnished the country’s sporting reputation. Malaysia’s Sports Minister, Hannah Yeoh, expressed disappointment and assured the public that the ministry would await the outcome of FAM’s appeal before making an official statement.
The suspensions come at a critical time, as Malaysia prepares to face Laos in an Asian Cup qualifier this week. The team’s lineup will be significantly altered without the sanctioned players. This case highlights the growing trend in Southeast Asia of recruiting naturalized players to strengthen national teams, a strategy inspired by Indonesia’s success with Dutch-born players of Indonesian descent.