FIFA penalizes Malaysia’s football team over allegations of forged documents in an AFC qualifying match.
Published On 7 Oct 2025
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has announced its intention to challenge FIFA’s sanctions following accusations of document forgery linked to the national team.
In a statement released on Facebook Tuesday, FAM rejected FIFA’s allegations, emphasizing, “There is no credible proof that players knowingly used counterfeit documents.” The association reaffirmed that the players in question are bona fide Malaysian citizens.
Last month, FIFA imposed a 12-month suspension on seven foreign-born players who participated in Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam during the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Additionally, FAM was fined $438,000 due to the submission of falsified paperwork.
The disciplinary committee’s detailed report, published Monday, highlighted discrepancies between original birth certificates and the documents submitted by FAM. The latter claimed the players qualified through a grandparent born in Malaysia, a criterion under FIFA eligibility rules.
However, the original certificates revealed that the grandparents were actually born in the same countries as the players themselves-Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Spain-contradicting the claims made by FAM.
FIFA condemned the use of fraudulent documents as a blatant form of cheating that undermines the integrity of the sport. “Such actions damage the trust essential to fair competition and threaten football’s foundation of honesty and transparency,” the report stated.
FAM responded by attributing the issue to an administrative oversight during document submission and announced plans to appeal the decision, presenting government-certified original documents as evidence.
“We are preparing a formal appeal to uphold the truth and protect the integrity of Malaysian football,” FAM declared.
The FIFA report also noted that FAM acknowledged being contacted by third parties about the players’ heritage but failed to verify the authenticity of the documents independently. FIFA was able to access the original certificates without obstruction, underscoring FAM’s lack of due diligence.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), organizer of the Asian Cup, will review FIFA’s findings and may impose additional sanctions through its disciplinary committee. Malaysia is scheduled to face Laos this Thursday.
The controversy has sparked widespread disappointment across Malaysia.
“While FAM attributes the issue to a clerical mistake, the extensive 19-page FIFA report contains serious allegations that damage the nation’s reputation,” said Hannah Yeoh, Malaysia’s Minister of Sports. “Supporters feel betrayed, hurt, and frustrated.”
