According to the latest registration of Deportivo Alaves sent to the La Liga organizers, Facundo Garces is recognized with Argentinian nationality. This information is different from the time this defender was registered to play for the Malaysian national team.
Garces' reappearance with Argentinian nationality raises public questions about whether this player still retains Malaysian nationality or not. However, changing registration information in La Liga is not enough to confirm that Garces has officially renounced Malaysian nationality.
Facundo Garces is one of 7 naturalized Malaysian players sanctioned by FIFA related to the scandal of using invalid records and papers to qualify for the national team jersey. These players are banned from playing for one year, with the penalty period expected to end in September 2026.
Among the above-mentioned players, Garces was noticed more because he was playing in La Liga for Deportivo Alaves. After FIFA issued a penalty, many related players had difficulty finding a new club. Some were later recruited by Johor Darul Ta'zim to play in Malaysia.
Garces' case is somewhat different as Deportivo Alaves still maintains support for the Argentine defender during his suspension period.
Recently, Johor Darul Ta'zim registered 4 players who used invalid records to naturalize Malaysia to play in the 2026-2027 season as domestic players. This club believes that the above players, although not eligible to wear the Malaysian national team jersey, are still Malaysian citizens on paper.
In that context, Facundo Garces being registered by Deportivo Alaves with Argentinian nationality continues to attract attention. However, it is necessary to have official confirmation from competent authorities to accurately determine the current nationality status of this player.
