CAS announced its preliminary decision on Thursday, upholding the majority of FIFA’s sanctions, including a 350,000 Swiss franc (US$448,000) fine for the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and 2,000 Swiss francs fine for each of the players involved.
In a minor change, the CAS restricted the players’ 12-month global football ban to official matches, allowing them to continue training with their clubs.
Within an hour of the CAS announcement, the AFC released an official statement confirming it had noted the court’s decision regarding violations of FAM and the players. The statement read that the matter would be referred to the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee, adding that the Confederation does not comment on ongoing investigations or internal procedures.
Naturalized player Rodrigo Holgado (R) plays in Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia, on June 10, 2025. Photo by Malaysia NT |
The controversy started on Sept. 26, 2025, when the FIFA Disciplinary Committee (FDC) determined that Malaysia had submitted forged or invalid naturalization documents for seven foreign-born players. This severe violation of international football regulations involved Joao Figueiredo of Brazilian origin, Hector Hevel (Netherlands), Jon Irazabal and Gabriel Palmero (Spain), and Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca and Facundo Garces (Argentine).
Prior to the CAS verdict, the AFC maintained that it would wait for Malaysia to complete all legal appeals before taking action. AFC secretary general Windsor Paul John had repeatedly emphasized that the continental body would only intervene once all legal procedures through the FIFA Appeals Committee and CAS were finalized.
Following the ruling, Windsor told New Straits Times that the federation accepts the CAS conclusion and will promptly launch an investigation to determine Malaysia’s fate in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
The ineligible players have been representing the Malaysia national team since March 2025, notably participating in crucial 2027 Asian Cup qualifying victories over Nepal (2-0) and Vietnam (4-0).
At the moment, the CAS ruling heavily implies that the AFC will penalize Malaysia with 0-3 forfeit defeats for these matches, which stripped them of their top spot and qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup. Currently, Malaysia are leading Group F with 15 points, 3 ahead of Vietnam.
The highly anticipated Group F match of the qualifiers between Vietnam and Malaysia, scheduled for March 31, faces potential cancellation if the AFC decides to disqualify Malaysia from the tournament.
Prior to the CAS ruling, FIFA had already penalized Malaysia with 0-3 forfeit losses for friendly matches played against Cape Verde, Singapore and Palestine in late 2025, as those fixtures fell directly under FIFA’s jurisdiction.
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