FIFA rejects appeal, Malaysia risks losing six matches.
FIFA rejected all of FAM's appeals and those of the seven naturalized players for violating Article 22. Malaysia is almost certain to be handed a six-match forfeit, with a 0-3 scoreline expected for all six games.
The FIFA Appeals Committee has rejected all appeals from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven naturalized players regarding previous disciplinary actions by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. The conclusion states that the parties involved violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code concerning the falsification or forgery of documents to legitimize their eligibility to play for the Malaysian national team.
The list of seven players includes: 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 victory over Vietnam in June 2025.
Malaysia faces a potential loss in six matches, most likely ending 0-3.
According to reports, the Malaysian national team is almost certain to forfeit a total of six matches for using more or fewer of the seven illegally naturalized players mentioned above. These matches include four friendly games (two against Cape Verde, one against Singapore, and one against Palestine) and two matches in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam and Nepal. It is highly likely that these matches will result in a 0-3 forfeit.
2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers: Direct Impact
- Malaysia 2-0 Nepal (March): Hector Hevel started and scored. After the match, the Nepal Football Association sued Malaysia at FIFA, demanding the result be annulled for using an illegally naturalized player.
- Malaysia 4-0 Vietnam (June 2025): All 7 players mentioned above will be on the field. The Vietnam national team is awaiting the day they are awarded a 3-0 victory over Malaysia.
FIFA Days friendlies and behind-the-scenes matches: the fixture list is affected.
- Malaysia 1-1 Cape Verde (May 29): Malaysia fielded one player who was illegally naturalized, Gabriel Palmero.
- Cape Verde vs Malaysia (3/6, closed-door match): Malaysia used two illegally naturalized players, Facundo Garces and Hector Hevel.
- Malaysia 2-1 Singapore (September): Figueiredo and Facundo Garces started; Figueiredo scored the goal.
- Malaysia vs Palestine (September): Malaysia wins; Figueiredo starts and scores, Facundo Garces starts.
Disciplinary proceedings and grounds for handling the case.
The decision to reject the appeal emphasized the violation of Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, relating to the falsification and forgery of documents to legitimize eligibility to play. With this conclusion, the on-field results in the six aforementioned matches will likely be annulled and the player will be declared the loser by technical score of 0-3.
The key point is that naturalized players were present in both friendly matches and official qualifying games, directly influencing the results. The names of the players involved in each match were specifically mentioned, including their starting roles and goals scored in some games.
A comprehensive picture of matches at risk of being forfeited.
| Match | Solution/Time | Results on the field | Players involved (according to source) | Expected status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia vs Nepal | 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, March | 2-0 | Hector Hevel (started, scored) | The possibility of a 0-3 defeat. |
| Malaysia vs Vietnam National Team | 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers, June 2025 | 4-0 | All 7 naturalized players took to the field. | The possibility of a 0-3 defeat. |
| Malaysia vs Cape Verde | Friendly match, May 29th | 1-1 | Gabriel Palmero | The possibility of a 0-3 defeat. |
| Cape Verde vs Malaysia | Friendly match, June 3rd (closed-door game) | But | Facundo Garces, Hector Hevel | The possibility of a 0-3 defeat. |
| Malaysia vs Singapore | Friendly match, September | 2-1 | Figueiredo, Facundo Garces (Figueiredo scored) | The possibility of a 0-3 defeat. |
| Malaysia vs Palestine | Friendly match, September | Win | Figueiredo (scored), Facundo Garces (started) | The possibility of a 0-3 defeat. |
Immediate impact
With the decision from FIFA's appeals body, Malaysia faces the risk of losing all results from the six aforementioned matches. The Vietnamese national team is specifically mentioned as awaiting the day they can be awarded a 3-0 victory in their match against Malaysia. The Nepal Football Association has also filed a complaint with FIFA after their loss in March.
The next developments depend on the disciplinary procedures following the rejection of the appeal. However, based on available information, the likelihood of applying the 0-3 forfeit result to matches involving illegally naturalized players is very high.
