Malaysian football association executive committee quits amid scandal over naturalized players

The Football Association of Malaysia's executive committee resigns amid a scandal involving naturalized players and FIFA sanctions.

The entire executive committee of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) resigned on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) after a scandal involving the naturalization of seven foreign-born players led to FIFA sanctions, a court appeal and intensified scrutiny of the country’s soccer governance.

All committee members, elected 11 months ago for the 2025–2029 term, stepped down with immediate effect in a unanimous and voluntary decision in order to protect the association’s credibility.

The mass resignation followed FIFA’s decision last September to fine the association about $4,50,000 and suspending the seven players for a year after determining that fake documents had been filed to support their naturalization. The players— Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal and Héctor Hevel— were also fined individually.

The seven, who originate from Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands and Spain, went on to play for Malaysia, including in a qualifying match for the 2027 Asian Cup that Malaysia won against Vietnam.

Malaysian officials had maintained that all seven players were eligible under FIFA rules because each had a grandparent born in Malaysia. FIFA, however, said its investigators obtained original documents from the players’ countries of origin that contradicted those claims.

In a statement on Wednesday (January 28, 2026), FAM said the committee had been elected for a four-year mandate covering the 2025–2029 term and the decision to resign after just 11 months demonstrated that service to Malaysian soccer takes precedence over holding office.