The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has just failed in its bid for a reduced sentence related to the scandal of using naturalized players in violation of regulations. After a long review process, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee affirmed that FAM and related players have seriously violated regulations on honesty in player file management.
According to the official announcement, FIFA concluded that some birth certificates submitted by FAM to prove the origin of the players were forged or intentionally changed the birthplace. The investigation results are based on data from the National Registration Office of Malaysia (NRD) and original documents independently collected by FIFA. The Disciplinary Committee believes that FAM was not careful in the verification process, leading to the use of invalid documents in international tournaments.
From there, FIFA applied Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which clearly stipulates the punishment for the act of forging or using fake documents. FAM was fined 350,000 CHF (equivalent to about 11.5 billion VND), while each player involved was fined 2,000 CHF (about 66 million VND) and banned from playing for 12 months. All fines must be paid before November 5, 2025.
Although FAM believes that the violation stems from lack of understanding, FIFA dismissed this argument, emphasizing that all federations must take full responsibility for the authenticity of the documents submitted. The organization also affirmed that the use of unqualified players can directly affect the results of matches and the integrity of the tournament.
Notably, in the conclusion, FIFA mentioned the right to handle the consequences of matches in which Malaysia used naturalized players in violation of regulations - including the confrontation with the Vietnam team under the authority of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This opens up the possibility that the results could be reviewed if the AFC takes action.
FAM's case is considered a warning for many federations in the region about the appraisal of naturalized player records, which is increasingly popular in Southeast Asia. FIFA emphasized that it will continue to closely monitor similar cases, to ensure transparency and fairness in world football.
