The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has been fined, while seven naturalized players have been banned due to document forgery during the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee announced the sanctions this evening. The seven players involved are Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal (both Spanish origin), Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca (Argentinian origin), Joao Figueireido (Brazilian origin), and Hector Hevel (Dutch origin). Links 789BET
Malaysia granted citizenship to these players under a policy recognizing lineage from grandparents and registered their information with FIFA. All seven took part in Malaysia’s 4-0 win against Vietnam on June 10, 2025, at Bukit Jalil Stadium during the second round of Group F in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.
Joao Figueireido (#14) and Rodrigo Holgado (#19) pictured in the match where Malaysia defeated Vietnam 4-0 on June 10, 2025, at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia. (Photo: Malaysia NT)
“FIFA received complaints regarding the eligibility of these seven players,” FIFA’s statement reads. “FAM submitted falsified documents to field them in competition.”
After reviewing all evidence, FIFA imposed a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately 11.5 billion VND) on FAM. Each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs and banned from all football-related activities for 12 months starting from September 26.
The Disciplinary Committee has also referred the case to FIFA’s Football Tribunal for further consideration. Both FAM and the players have been notified of the disciplinary decision.
FAM retains the right to appeal to FIFA’s Appeal Committee. They also have 10 days to request a detailed written explanation of the ruling, which, if granted, will be published on the Disciplinary Committee’s website.
There is a strong possibility that FAM and the Malaysian national team could face further sanctions, potentially including a 0-3 forfeiture of their victories against Vietnam in the final round of the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, a tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Midfielder Hector Hevel (#13) in action during Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam at Bukit Jalil Stadium on June 10, 2025. (Photo: Malaysia NT)
Since March, Malaysia introduced Hector Hevel and Gabriel Palmero, both of whom featured in the 2-0 opening victory over Nepal in Group F’s final round.
Born in 1996, Hevel has Dutch, Spanish, and Malaysian heritage. He was raised in the Netherlands, developing through ADO Den Haag’s academy and playing 11 matches in the Dutch Eredivisie from 2014 to 2017. He then appeared in 113 games for AEK Larnaca (Cyprus) from 2017 to 2020, winning the Cypriot Cup and Super Cup in 2018. Mid-2020 saw him move to Andorra in Spain’s third tier, helping the team gain promotion to the second division in 2022-2023, before transferring to Cartagena in the same division.
In early 2024, Hevel joined Guangxi Pingguo Haliao in China’s second tier, before moving to Portuguese side Portimonense.
Palmero, a left-back born in 2002, played eight matches for Tenerife B in Spain’s fourth division during the 2024-2025 season. He came through Las Palmas’ youth system and has had loan spells at Spanish clubs including SD Tenisca, Segoviana, and currently Unionistas.
Central defender Facundo Garces played in the 4-0 win over Vietnam on June 10, 2025. (Photo: Malaysia NT)
In June, Malaysia also welcomed Garces, Machuca, Holgado, Irazabal, and Figueireido to the squad.
Among them, Machuca is the highest-valued player, estimated at $2.85 million by Transfermarkt. The winger, born in 2000, rose through Argentine youth football and began his professional career with Union Santa Fe in 2020. In 2023, he moved to Brazil’s Fortaleza before being loaned to Velez Sarsfield (Argentina) earlier this year. He has scored 15 goals in 134 appearances. Web site 789bet.com
Holgado, also Argentine-trained, started his professional journey in 2014 with Almagro in Argentina’s fourth division. Since 2017, he has scored 75 goals in 202 matches across Mexico, Chile, and Colombia’s top leagues. From 2024, Holgado has been with CD America, Colombia’s 15-time champion, netting 18 goals in 58 appearances, including eight goals and two assists this season in 22 games.
Figueireido currently plays for Turkish club Basaksehir, having scored 12 goals in 48 matches this season. The forward, valued at $2.4 million, began his career in Brazil before playing in Greece, Lithuania, and the UAE prior to joining Basaksehir in 2022.
Garces, born in 1999, competed in Argentina with 129 appearances for Colon between 2020 and 2024. In August 2024, La Liga club Deportivo Alaves signed him on a three-and-a-half-year contract, effective from January 1, 2025. The 1.88m tall defender has featured in 10 La Liga games this season.
Irazabal, born in 1996, developed at Athletic Bilbao’s academy in Spain. He mainly played for lower-division sides such as Sondika, Vitoria, Mirandes, Leioa, and Amorebieta before moving to Sabah FC in Azerbaijan in 2022. This season, the 1.87m centre-back has scored once in 39 matches.
During the summer transfer window, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, and Joao Figueireido joined Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), Malaysia’s most successful club. It is likely that JDT may also face repercussions, as these players participated in the AFC Champions League Elite and the ASEAN Club Championship representing the club.
