Federal police in Malaysia have opened an investigation into alleged forgery of documents for seven naturalized national football players submitted to FIFA. The probe follows recommendations from an independent committee and comes after FIFA imposed sanctions on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the players. FAM has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but the sanctions remain in effect.
On December 25, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department confirmed the launch of a probe into alleged document forgery under Section 468 of the Penal Code, which addresses forgery for the purpose of cheating. The investigation targets documents submitted to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to verify the eligibility of seven naturalized players for Malaysia's national team, known as Harimau Malaya.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) lodged a police report earlier this week at the Petaling Jaya District Police Headquarters, acting on recommendations from the Independent Investigation Committee (IIC). CCID director Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa stated that statements from two individuals have been recorded so far.
This development stems from FIFA's sanctions imposed in September 2025, after finding that FAM submitted falsified documents ahead of Malaysia's 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10. FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately RM1.8 million), while each of the seven players—Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, and Joao Figueiredo—received a 2,000 Swiss franc fine (around RM10,560) and a 12-month suspension from football activities, effective from notification.
FIFA rejected FAM's appeal in full on November 3, 2025, and last month urged Malaysian authorities to investigate the falsification, noting it as an offense in most jurisdictions. FAM has since appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, though this provides no automatic pause on the sanctions. The case has also led to the overturning of three Harimau Malaya international results, contributing to a drop in Malaysia's world rankings.
