Heavily penalized by FIFA, Malaysian media unexpectedly mention Indonesia

Malaysian media acknowledge the FIFA punishment as a shock but stay hopeful since their team remains ahead of Indonesia in the rankings.

Malaysian media describe the final days of 2025 as “a difficult period” for their football, as the latest FIFA rankings have caused Harimau Malaya (the nickname for Malaysia's national team) to drop significantly. Malaysia fell to 121st in the world rankings, ending the year with much regret and controversy.

The issue began with a severe sanction from FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee. Malaysia was found to have fielded ineligible players in three international friendlies against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine, resulting in all match results being annulled and recorded as 0-3 losses. Nevertheless, Makanbola suggests there is a small consolation in that “Malaysia still ranks above Indonesia.”

Initially, Malaysian media analyzed that this penalty not only caused a significant loss of points for the national team but also damaged its image. Reports noted waves of anger and concern from fans, as instead of improving their ranking as expected, the team plunged dramatically in an unbelievable manner.

Besides the technical defeats, the Football Association of Malaysia also faced financial penalties. Many local experts see this as a strong warning about management practices, since a single procedural error was enough to ruin the professional efforts accumulated over a long preparation period.

However, Malaysian media are not entirely pessimistic. Amid the bleak year-end picture for football, Makanbola highlights the rare bright spot that Malaysia still stands above Indonesia - the team currently just behind at 122nd place. Not being overtaken by a regional rival is seen as a significant morale booster.

Looking at the bigger picture, Malaysian media also note that Southeast Asian football remains highly competitive. Thailand leads the region at 96th in the world. Vietnam continues to hold 107th, staying within the Top 110. The Philippines rank 136th, while Singapore climbs to 148th, creating a new but volatile order in Southeast Asia.