BREAKING: 7 Malaysian naturalized players involved in illegal registration may return to play

Seven Malaysian naturalized players have filed an appeal with CAS, seeking to continue playing for their clubs during the waiting period for the decision, after being banned for 12 months by FIFA for using fake paperwork.

Despite a 12-month FIFA suspension, seven naturalized players of the Malaysian national team are pursuing a chance to return to club play through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

On January 8, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) officially submitted an appeal to CAS, requesting that players Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado, and Facundo Garces be allowed to play for their clubs while awaiting the final ruling. This move aims to protect the players' right to compete amid the prolonged case.

Previously, in September 2025, FIFA imposed sanctions accusing FAM of using forged documents to confirm the eligibility of these naturalized players for the national team. FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately 11.5 billion VND), each player received a 12-month suspension, and a fine of 2,000 Swiss francs was imposed on each.

“We have submitted the appeal within the deadline, along with a request for provisional measures, allowing the players to continue club participation during the review process,” said FAM CEO Rob Friend to Timesport. This is a standard CAS procedure designed to safeguard the players' temporary rights before the final decision.

According to Mr. Friend, CAS will review the case files submitted by the players' lawyers, FAM’s legal team, and FIFA before deciding on the provisional request. “We expect to receive information within one to two weeks. After that, CAS will announce the hearing date, which could be in a few weeks or months,” he said.

Earlier, FAM and the players appealed to FIFA’s Appeal Committee but were rejected on November 3, 2025. Therefore, the case has been escalated to CAS following proper procedures. If CAS grants the provisional request, the seven players can return to club matches before the final verdict.Otherwise, they must continue their suspension until CAS issues its decision, which could take several months.