FIFA Upholds Bans, Fines Malaysia Football For Forged Documents

FIFA has rejected the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) appeal regarding the eligibility of seven foreign-born players who used forged documents to claim Malaysian heritage. The players, who participated in Malaysia's 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, were each fined and banned from football activities for one year, while FAM was fined approximately $440,000. The forged documents falsely claimed the players' grandparents were Malaysian, enabling fast-tracked citizenship and national team eligibility. FAM has expressed shock and intends to seek further clarification from FIFA before potentially appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which handles sports-related disputes independently. This scandal has caused significant controversy within Malaysian football, leading to internal suspensions and damaging the sport's reputation in the country. Despite the sanctions, Malaysia is currently allowed to continue playing upcoming matches but risks forfeit losses for fielding ineligible players.