FIFA rejects appeal, Malaysia risks losing 6 matches
FIFA rejected all applications from FAM and 7 naturalized players for violating Article 22. Malaysia is almost certain to lose 6 matches, expected to be 0-3 for 6 matches
The FIFA Appeals Committee has rejected all appeals filed by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven naturalized players against previous disciplinary action by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. The parties were found to have violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code on falsifying or forging documents to legitimize their eligibility to play for the Malaysian national team.
The seven players in the squad include Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vítor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano. All seven played in Malaysia’s 4-0 win over Vietnam in June 2025.
Malaysia faces 6 matches with a loss, most likely 0-3
According to information from the incident, the Malaysian team will almost certainly be punished with a total of 6 matches for using more or less of the 7 illegally naturalized players mentioned above. The matches include 4 friendly matches (2 matches with Cape Verde, 1 match with Singapore, 1 match with Palestine) and 2 matches in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam and Nepal. These matches are likely to be punished with a 0-3 loss.
Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers: direct impact
- Malaysia 2-0 Nepal (March): Hector Hevel started and scored. After the match, the Nepal Football Federation sued Malaysia to FIFA, requesting to cancel the result for using illegally naturalized players.
- Malaysia 4-0 Vietnam (June 2025): All 7 players mentioned above are on the field. Vietnam is waiting for the day to be awarded a 3-0 victory over Malaysia.
FIFA Days friendlies and behind closed doors: affected series
- Malaysia 1-1 Cape Verde (May 29): Malaysia used an illegally naturalized player, Gabriel Palmero.
- Cape Verde vs Malaysia (June 3, closed match): Malaysia used 2 illegally naturalized players, Facundo Garces and Hector Hevel.
- Malaysia 2-1 Singapore (September): Figueiredo and Facundo Garces started; Figueiredo scored.
- Malaysia vs Palestine (September): Malaysia won; Figueiredo started and scored, Facundo Garces started.
Disciplinary proceedings and grounds for action
The decision to reject the appeal highlighted the violation of Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which relates to the falsification and forgery of documents to legalize the qualification to compete. With this conclusion, the on-field results of the above 6 matches will most likely be annulled and the technical score will be 0-3.
The highlight is that the naturalized players were present in both the friendly series and the official matches of the qualifying round, directly influencing the results. Each match was named by the players involved, including the starting role and goalscoring in some matches.
Summary of matches at risk of being lost
| Battle | Solution/Time | Results on the field | Related players (source) | Expected state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia vs Nepal | Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, March | 2-0 | Hector Hevel (started, scored) | 0-3 loss probability |
| Malaysia vs Vietnam National Team | Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, June 2025 | 4-0 | All 7 naturalized players played. | 0-3 loss probability |
| Malaysia vs Cape Verde | Friendly, May 29 | 1-1 | Gabriel Palmero | 0-3 loss probability |
| Cape Verde vs Malaysia | Friendly, 3/6 (closed match) | - | Facundo Garces, Hector Hevel | 0-3 loss probability |
| Malaysia vs Singapore | Friendly, September | 2-1 | Figueiredo, Facundo Garces (Figueiredo scored) | 0-3 loss probability |
| Malaysia vs Palestine | Friendly, September | Win | Figueiredo (goal), Facundo Garces (start) | 0-3 loss probability |
Immediate impact
With the decision from FIFA's appeals body, Malaysia is at risk of losing all results in the above 6 matches. Vietnam's national team is specifically mentioned as waiting for the day to be awarded the 3-0 victory in the match against Malaysia. The Nepalese Football Federation also sent a complaint to FIFA after the loss in March.
The next steps will depend on the relevant disciplinary procedures following the appeal being dismissed. However, based on the information available, the possibility of a 0-3 loss being applied to matches involving illegally naturalised players is very high.
