Why hasn't the 0-3 defeat against Vietnam to Malaysia been penalized?
FIFA has ruled Malaysia forfeited three friendly matches for using seven ineligible naturalized players, but their 4-0 victory against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers still falls under AFC jurisdiction and awaits a ruling by March 31, 2026.
On the scoreboard, Malaysia still beat Vietnam 4-0 in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, on paper, that match is outside the jurisdiction of FIFA and awaits a decision from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), so there is no question of Vietnam being awarded a 3-0 victory yet.
On the morning of December 17th, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced that their national team had received a heavy penalty from the International Football Federation (FIFA). Malaysia was handed three forfeited matches for using naturalized players who were not eligible to play. What caught the attention of Vietnamese fans was that Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in June 2025, where all seven players involved in the match-fixing scandal played, was not included in the list of forfeited matches.
FIFA only handles Level 1 international friendly matches.
The key point lies in the scope of jurisdiction. FIFA's ruling only applies to Level 1 international friendly matches (FIFA Days) that fall under its direct management. These are the matches between Malaysia and Cape Verde, Singapore and Palestine, which are counted within the FIFA-supervised friendly match system.
In these three matches, FIFA determined that Malaysia used unqualified naturalized players and therefore imposed a forfeit penalty. In principle, these matches were entirely within FIFA's legal "home turf," so the organization could make decisions directly without going through a continental federation.
This division of authority clearly defines responsibilities: FIFA handles matches within its own system, while tournaments under the jurisdiction of continental federations are handled by those federations, even if both involve player eligibility issues.
The Malaysia – Vietnam match is under the jurisdiction of the AFC.
Unlike the aforementioned friendly matches, the clash between Malaysia and Vietnam takes place within the framework of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. This tournament is organized and managed by the AFC, from the schedule to disciplinary matters. Therefore, any penalties related to this match, if any, will be subject to review and decision-making by the AFC, not FIFA.
That explains why FIFA didn't mention the result of the Malaysia-Vietnam match in its disciplinary announcement. FIFA's role here was primarily to determine the eligibility of the naturalized players, while whether or not to change the match result was a subsequent decision made by the AFC based on that conclusion.
AFC Secretary General Windsor Paul John confirmed in October that the AFC would base its consideration of additional sanctions on FIFA's report on the eligibility of players. In other words, the AFC is waiting for FIFA to "conclude the file" on the players' eligibility before considering corresponding disciplinary measures within its league system.
FIFA concluded that the dossiers of 7 naturalized players were "never qualified".
The FIFA report revealed that seven naturalized players, including Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel, used forged birth certificates or falsified their residency records for 10 years to qualify for citizenship.
FIFA has stated that these players "never qualified to play for Malaysia." This strong statement indicates that the issue is not merely a procedural error but a serious violation of player eligibility regulations. Once eligibility is denied at the FIFA level, this will be a crucial legal basis for the AFC to consider the impact on matches within its system.
In Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam, all seven of these players were present. However, despite this detail giving Vietnamese fans hope for a possible 3-0 victory, the result has not been changed yet because the AFC has not issued any ruling.
Vietnam must wait for the ruling until March 31, 2026 at the latest.
Currently, the Vietnamese team has not been immediately awarded a 3-0 victory. According to the plan, the AFC is expected to issue a final ruling on this matter no later than March 31, 2026, the deadline for finalizing the list of teams participating in the 2027 Asian Cup.
This timeframe indicates that the AFC wants sufficient room to review the case, compare it with regulations, and consider the consequences of any disciplinary action. Any changes to the match result would lead to adjustments to the standings and tournament participants, so decisions are usually made only after full consultation with FIFA's legal conclusions.
Until the AFC officially speaks out, Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam remains on the scoreboard. The match is temporarily caught between two levels of authority: FIFA has identified the player fraud, while the next step rests with the AFC, with a deadline of March 31, 2026.
