British media reacts as Malaysia is officially handed a 0-3 defeat by FIFA

British media react to FIFA's formal ruling that Malaysia lost 0-3 in three international games, considering it a harsh penalty that significantly harms the image of Malaysian football.

The British press has spoken out following the news that Malaysia has been officially handed a 0-3 defeat by FIFA in three international matches,after the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) violated regulations by fielding ineligible players.

According to a statement released by FAM earlier this month, the association received sanctions from FIFA's Disciplinary Committee regarding team registration procedures in several recent international matches. The case was reviewed at a meeting held on December 12, chaired by Vice-Chairman Jorge Palacio, investigating allegations that Malaysia fielded ineligible players.

FIFA's conclusion revealed that FAM breached Article 19 of the 2025 FIFA Disciplinary Code by using ineligible players in three senior international matches. As a result, all match outcomes were adjusted to 0-3 losses for Malaysia, and FAM was fined heavily. The affected matches were friendlies against Cape Verde on May 29, Singapore on September 4, and Palestine on September 8.

In response to this shocking penalty, the British outlet SportBible issued a notable reaction. The publication featured an article titled: “FIFA sanctions a national team with three 0-3 defeats due to rule violations”, with an introduction emphasizing: “The national football association was penalized for multiple breaches of a key regulation.” The straightforward approach of the British media highlights the seriousness of the case as well as the negative impact on Malaysia’s football reputation internationally.

On their side, FAM confirmed they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to continue contesting the decision and defend the association’s position. However, after reviewing the altered documents submitted to FIFA, the Independent Investigation Committee (IIC) stated it could not definitively identify the individuals or organizations responsible for forging the related documents.

Although the initial announcement did not specify the names of ineligible players, FIFA later confirmed seven individuals involved: Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano. All seven are currently banned from all football activities for 12 months and fined £1,881 due to violations in the Asian Cup qualifier match against Vietnam in June, a game Malaysia had originally won 4-0.

Previously, on November 3, FIFA's Appeals Committee also confirmed that FAM must pay a fine of up to £329,305 for submitting tampered documents related to the seven players mentioned, closing one of the biggest scandals in recent Malaysian football history.