FIFA Punish Nation With Three 3-0 Defeats for Breaking Rules

FIFA has confirmed that the FA of Malaysia (FAM) have been handed three fresh 3-0 defeats due to incidents in international fixtures.

In a statement today, FAM confirmed it had received sanctions from FIFA's Disciplinary Committee, relating to their lineups in recent international matches.

The meeting, chaired by the committee’s deputy chairman Jorge Palacio, took place on December 12 and investigated claims that FAM had fielded ineligible players.

In doing so, the association had breached Article 19 of the 2025 FIFA Disciplinary Code by playing ineligible players in three tier one international matches.

Because of this, the results of all three matches have been changed to 3-0 defeats while FAM have been handed a huge fine.

The FA of Malaysia have been punished by FIFA. (Image: Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The matches in question were three friendlies that took place in recent months, against Cape Verde on May 29, Singapore on September 4 and Palestine on September 8,

“The Disciplinary Committee decided that Malaysia shall be declared as having lost all three matches by a score of 3-0,” a statement from FAM read.

“In addition, FAM has also been ordered to pay a fine of CHF10,000 (£9,408).

“FAM will submit a written application to obtain the grounds for the decision from the FIFA Disciplinary Committee before considering the next steps to be taken concerning this matter.”

The association also confirmed in response that it would bring the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Having probed the doctored documentation submitted for the matches, the Independent Investigation Committee (IIC) confirmed that it could not conclusively determine who had falsified the documents.

The statement failed to mention the names of the ineligible players, but it has been revealed that they are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano.

Seven Malaysian players are currently banned after they played in a Asian Qualifier against Vietnam despite being ineligible. (Image: Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

All seven on the players are currently banned from all football activities for 12 months and fined £1,881 after they broke regulations while playing in an Asian Qualifier against Vietnam in June, a match Malaysia won 4-0.

Following an investigation, FIFA's Appeal Committee confirmed on November 3 that FAM must pay a £329,305 fine for submitting doctored documentation for the seven players.