Malaysian Football Association fined over 13 billion Vietnamese Dong for illegal naturalization of 7 players

According to statistics, the Malaysian Football Association has been fined a total of over 2 million Malaysian Ringgit (equivalent to over 13 billion Vietnamese Dong) following the scandal involving 7 players illegally naturalized.

In September 2025, as per the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, FAM received a fine of 350,000 CHF (approximately 1.8 million RM) due to the scandal involving 7 illegally naturalized players: Hector Hevel, Gabriel Arocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, and Jon Irazabal.

By December 2025, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee imposed an additional fine of 10,000 CHF (51,414 RM) on the country's football governing body for announcing 0-3 forfeit losses to Malaysia against three opponents Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine in friendly matches.

Most recently, the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee also made a similar decision by awarding forfeit losses to Malaysia in two matches against the national teams of Nepal and Vietnam within the framework of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee also fined this violation 50,000 USD (196,119 RM), further increasing the total penalty amount FAM must bear in this case.

Meanwhile, the seven involved players were fined 2,000 CHF (10,650 RM) and suspended for 12 months according to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee's decision. However, their penalty was previously reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) when the suspension only applied to official matches, not all football-related activities.

Besides the financial penalty, the Malaysian national team has also officially lost its chance to secure a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup Finals, despite initially having the top points in Group F. Vietnam thereby officially secured an early ticket to advance to the next round.