FIFA sanctions Malaysia over alleged forged documents for foreign-born players

World football governing body, FIFA, has accused the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) of falsifying citizenship documents to allow seven foreign-born players to represent the country’s national team.

In a detailed report released this week, FIFA explained that it imposed fines and suspensions on the affected players in late September, following an investigation into irregularities in their registration process.

According to the report, the FAM allegedly forged birth certificates to make it appear that the players’ grandparents were born in Malaysia — a move FIFA described as a “serious act of cheating” and a clear breach of eligibility regulations.

However, the Malaysian FA has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the discrepancies were the result of administrative errors rather than deliberate falsification. The association has also announced plans to appeal FIFA’s decision, maintaining that all seven players are legitimate Malaysian citizens.

Under FIFA’s “grandfather rule,” players born outside a country are eligible to represent that nation only if at least one of their biological parents or grandparents was born there. The rule is intended to ensure genuine national ties and prevent countries from recruiting foreign players purely to strengthen their squads.