FAM announced that it would take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the FIFA Appeal Committee officially rejected the appeal related to the case of 7 invalid naturalized players.
After receiving the notice from FIFA on the evening of November 3, FAM issued a statement affirming its tough stance: "This is the first time FAM has faced this situation. The lawyers and the Federation's Board of Directors were impressed by the decision of the FIFA Appeal Committee. However, we will resolutely fight for the rights of the players and the position of Malaysian football in the international arena.
According to the process, FAM has 10 days to request a detailed verdict from the Appellate Committee and the next 21 days to submit a lawsuit to CAS. The case will be considered if both plaintiffs, FAM, and the defendant, FIFA, agree to participate. The processing process can take from 1 to 3 months, depending on the complexity of the dossier and the number of sessions.
The scandal arose from FAM being accused of forging the identity documents of 7 South American players including Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Joao Vitor Brandao figueiredo, Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano, facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Jon Irazabal and Gabriel Arrocha. These players played in Malaysia's 4-0 win over Vietnam in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup at Bukit Jalil Stadium in June 2025.
FIFA determined that documents proving their Malaysian origin were invalid and violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. After the investigation, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs, while the players were each fined 2,000 francs and banned from playing for 12 months.
Although still allowed to continue competing in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Malaysia could face the risk of being awarded or eliminated from the tournament if the appeal to CAS is unsuccessful. AFC Windsor General Secretary John Paul said that the review process will not take longer than March 31, 2026, to ensure the progress of determining the teams participating in the final round.
This case is considered the most serious legal crisis in the history of Malaysian football, greatly affecting the reputation of FAM as well as the image of Southeast Asian football in the international arena.
