Malaysian media bitterly expressed a sentiment as they were about to be defeated by Vietnam

New Straits Times and Malaysian public opinion were shocked as the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the appeal, maintaining the unprecedented sanctions and competition suspension for 7 footballers.

Malaysian football has just suffered one of the heaviest blows in its history after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced its official ruling on Thursday. Accordingly, CAS rejected the appeal by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), upholding most of the sanctions previously imposed by FIFA related to the scandal of falsifying naturalization documents.

New Straits Times reported with astonishment: "The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld FIFA's sanctions against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven heritage players".

According to the announcement from CAS, the violation was clearly established: "There were forged documents in the naturalization and eligibility verification process, despite these players having no genuine connection to Malaysia".

Not only did they fail in the legal negotiations, but FAM also faces a massive financial burden. CAS ruled that: "The fine of 350,000 CHF (approximately 1.8 million RM) imposed on FAM is reasonable and proportionate". This is a record amount, directly rejecting all efforts to mitigate the offense previously presented by the national football body.

Despite attempting to acknowledge "institutional shortcomings" and arguing that the players merely provided documents as requested, FAM still could not alter the fundamental nature of the case.

The incident began in 2025 when FAM proactively approached a group of 7 foreign-born players with the promise that: "They could apply for Malaysian citizenship legally and play for the national team". However, reality proved this process was manipulated with non-genuine documentation.

The group of 7 players - including Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, and their teammates must serve a 12-month ban from official competitions. The only concession from CAS was an adjustment to the scope of the penalty: "They are permitted to train with their clubs during the suspension period", instead of being banned from all football activities as per FIFA's initial punishment.

The ban takes effect immediately from Thursday, after deducting the period of provisional suspension already served. Although allowed to train, being barred from playing in official matches for a full year will be a major obstacle to these players' careers. This ruling not only ends ambitions for the Asian Cup qualifiers but also leaves a lasting stain on Malaysian football history.