Seven naturalised Malaysia players suspended by FIFA over forged eligibility documents are free to play again from 1 November 2026, according to VnExpress, Bongda24h and Dan Tri. Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel can return to club football, but none of them can yet represent Malaysia.
From scandal to sanction
VnExpress reports that on 26 September 2025 FIFA's Disciplinary Committee found the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had used falsified or invalid civil documents to register seven players of Brazilian (Figueiredo), Argentine (Holgado, Machuca, Garces), Spanish (Irazabal, Palmero) and Dutch (Hevel) origin. Key dates compiled by KBVN+:
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | Malaysia beat Vietnam 4-0 in Asian Cup 2027 qualifying at Bukit Jalil | Dan Tri, VnExpress |
| 26 September 2025 | FIFA fines FAM 350,000 Swiss francs, bans each player for 12 months and fines them 2,000 francs | VnExpress |
| December 2025 | FIFA awards 0-3 defeats in friendlies against Cape Verde, Singapore and Palestine | VnExpress |
| January 2026 | CAS suspends the ban, letting players continue at club level | VnExpress |
| 5 March 2026 | CAS rejects the appeal, keeps the 12-month ban but allows club training | VnExpress, Bongda24h |
| 17 March 2026 | AFC awards 0-3 defeats against Nepal and Vietnam | VnExpress |
| 1 November 2026 | Ban expires | All three |
Why it matters to Vietnam
This case shaped Vietnam's own route to the Asian Cup. Dan Tri says complaints about the forged papers emerged after Malaysia's 4-0 win over Vietnam in June 2025. According to VnExpress, the AFC's 17 March ruling turned Malaysia's 4-0 and 2-0 wins over Vietnam and Nepal into 0-3 defeats, costing Malaysia top spot in Group F of the final qualifying round and handing the Asian Cup 2027 place to Vietnam.
Where they are now
VnExpress says Garces is on the books at Alaves in Spain, Machuca plays for Independiente in Argentina and Holgado is expected to join Brunei's DPMM, who play in the Malaysian league. VnExpress lists Irazabal, Palmero, Figueiredo and Hevel at Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), while Dan Tri says Hevel and Palmero are still seeking deals there. Bongda24h reports Irazabal and Figueiredo are expected to travel with JDT to South Korea to face Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the AFC Champions League Elite on 3 November.
The Malaysian Football League still counts them as local players because the Malaysian government maintains they were naturalised legally, VnExpress notes, but they cannot play for the national team until the documents are shown to be valid. Bongda24h adds that international eligibility must also meet FIFA rules, including a 5-year residency requirement where it applies.
What comes next
The first chance to see any of them in action is JDT's trip to Jeonbuk on 3 November. Whether FAM tries to bring them back into the national team picture remains an open question.