The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has sanctioned Malaysia for fielding ineligible players in three recent matches.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee, after its investigations, found that Malaysia used false documentation in an Asian Cup qualifier in their last three friendly matches involving naturalised players.
According to an announcement by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), FIFA has suspended seven naturalised players for 12 months and fined the association 350,000 Swiss francs ($439,257).
For breaching the rules, the committee ruled that Malaysia would forfeit their matches against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine, and the results from those games would be annulled for ranking and other official purposes.
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Malaysia drew 1–1 with Cape Verde, won 2–1 against Singapore, and defeated Palestine 3–0 in their last match.
FAM’s appeal was dismissed in November 2025. The association has since launched an internal investigation and plans to notify authorities in five countries for potential criminal proceedings.
The Malaysian federation has also stated that it rejects FIFA’s decision and intends to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in hopes of overturning the ruling, insisting that it followed the correct processes and documentation in naturalising the players.
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