The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has reduced the sanctions on seven players who were previously suspended for forging official documents to play for the Malaysia national football team. The players can return to football-related activities and resume training with their clubs, but the one-year suspension for participating in official matches will remain in effect retroactively from September 2025. FIFA had suspended the players in December 2025 for a year from any football activity and fined each of them $2,564, while also fining the Malaysian Football Association $447,000. The Malaysian FA had appealed to CAS against the financial and administrative sanctions but lost. In 2025, the Malaysian FA contacted seven players of Argentine, Spanish, Dutch, and Brazilian origin and offered them the chance to represent the national team if they obtained Malaysian citizenship. FIFA launched an investigation after the players helped Malaysia defeat Vietnam 4-0 in June 2025 during the Asian Cup qualifiers. FIFA stated that the naturalization process occurred 'through the use of forged documents' and that none of the players had a father or grandfather born in Malaysia. The Malaysian FA, whose executive members resigned en masse at the end of January 2026, admitted its responsibility for the document forgery, stating that 'the players' role was limited to submitting' the documents that 'they did not prepare or alter'. FIFA also penalized the Malaysia national team by stripping them of two wins in three friendly matches played last year. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) must decide on Malaysia's status in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. AFC General Secretary Windsor Paul told the Malaysian daily newspaper The Star that 'resolving this matter as quickly and efficiently as possible is our top priority'.
