Inside the Scandal: How Forgery and Fraud Rocked the Football Association of Malaysia

Source: FAM

When FIFA announced on 27 September 2025 that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had submitted forged eligibility documents, Malaysian football fans were left stunned. Seven foreign-born players were banned for 12 months, and FAM itself was slapped with a CHF 350,000 fine (about RM1.8 million).

FIFA Investigation Exposes Forged Player Documents

FIFA’s disciplinary committee revealed that player eligibility records, including birth certificates and lineage papers, were falsified to allow seven “heritage players” to feature in Malaysia’s squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.

The banned players are:

• Gabriel Felipe Arrocha

• Facundo Tomás Garcés

• Rodrigo Julián Holgado

• Imanol Javier Machuca

• João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo

• Jon Irazábal Iraurgui

• Héctor Alejandro Hevel Serrano

Football Association of Malaysia Executives Under Fire for Fraudulent Submissions

The key question is not only how this happened, but who authorised it:

• FAM Leadership — Senior officials signed off on eligibility submissions to FIFA. Were they complicit, or negligent?

• Agents and Middlemen — Paid to “source” heritage players, with allegations of fabricated documents.

• Government Links — If forged documents carried official seals, were agencies compromised?

Legal experts say this could breach Malaysia’s Penal Code on forgery and fraud, extending beyond sports governance.

FAM Fraud Fallout Hits Players, Fans, and Sponsors

• Players: Careers disrupted, reputations tarnished.

• FAM: RM1.8m fine, credibility collapse, calls for leadership resignations.

• Fans: Trust in Malaysian football eroded once again.

• National Team: Asian Cup 2027 qualification hopes thrown into chaos.

Malaysian Football Scandals: Lessons from the Past

This is not Malaysia’s first football crisis. In 1994, over 100 players and coaches were banned for match-fixing. That scandal set the sport back decades.

Today, history threatens to repeat itself, not on the pitch, but through corrupt paperwork.

Unanswered Questions in the FAM Forgery Case

• Who fabricated the forged documents, and who paid them?

• Which FAM officials signed off on the submissions?

• Will Malaysian anti-corruption authorities step in?

• Can FAM survive this without a total leadership change?

This is a pivotal moment. If FAM treats the sanctions as just another fine, Malaysian football risks sinking deeper into disrepute. But if the scandal sparks reform, audits, governance changes, and accountability, it could mark a painful but necessary reset.

Football in Malaysia has always been more than just a sport. It is pride, identity, and hope. And for that reason, this crisis must be confronted head-on.

The Uncommon Breed

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