Malaysia National Football Team Sanctioned Over Naturalization Scandal
Kuala Lumpur – The Malaysian national football team has been sanctioned with a 0-3 defeat in two matches of the 2027 Asian Cup qualification, stemming from a naturalization player scandal. The decision was handed down by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
AFC Ruling and Penalties
The AFC deemed the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) guilty of violating Article 56 of the AFC Code of Discipline & Ethics for fielding players who did not meet eligibility requirements in two crucial qualifying matches for the 2027 Asian Cup. The matches in question are:
- Malaysia vs. Nepal, March 25, 2025 (won by Malaysia 2-0)
- Malaysia vs. Vietnam, June 10, 2025 (won by Malaysia 4-0)
Both matches are now officially recorded as 3-0 losses for Malaysia, as per Article 25.1 of the AFC Code of Discipline and Ethics. FAM was also fined $50,000 (approximately Rp. 850 million) [@FAM_Malaysia].
FAM Response and Appeal Plans
FAM acknowledged the AFC’s decision, stating, “FAM has received the decision from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Disciplinary & Ethics Committee…regarding the case of fielding ineligible players.” The organization plans to formally request the reasoning behind the punishment from the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee and is considering further action.
The Naturalization Scandal
The sanctions are directly linked to a scandal involving the naturalization of seven players prior to the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying matches. The players involved are Hector Hevel, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Gabriel Palmero.
FIFA previously investigated allegations that FAM submitted forged documents claiming these seven players had Malaysian ancestry. FIFA imposed one-year bans on all seven players.
Background to the Naturalization Drive
The push to naturalize foreign-born players began in 2018 when the Malaysia national football team reached its lowest-ever FIFA ranking of 178th place. FAM initiated a search for “heritage players” – individuals with foreign origins eligible to represent Malaysia through residency or ancestry. Between 2018 and October 2025, 23 foreign-born footballers were granted Malaysian citizenship.
The Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, publicly supported the initiative in January 2025, hoping to include six to seven players in the national team for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. Tunku Ismail also owns Johor Darul Ta’zim F.C. (JDT), a dominant force in Malaysian domestic football.