Mass Resignation of Malaysian Football Officials Amid Foreign Player Scandal

Wed Feb 04 2026 03:12:16 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The entire executive committee of the Football Association of Malaysia has resigned over allegations of manipulating player eligibility documents for foreign-born athletes.

In a significant turn of events, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has seen its entire executive committee resign amid an investigation by FIFA. The scandal centers around accusations that FAM doctored documentation to allow seven foreign-born players to compete for the national team. This action is intended to facilitate necessary reforms and restore trust within Malaysian football as the organization faces scrutiny from global governing bodies.

The entire executive committee of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have resigned amid a simmering scandal over foreign-born players in the national team.

Fifa, the world football governing body, has accused FAM of doctoring citizenship documents so seven foreign-born athletes could play for Malaysia.

The mass resignations would ensure that any necessary reforms may be undertaken without distraction or perceived conflicts, and with a renewed basis of trust, FAM said in a statement on Wednesday.

For days there had been speculation that FAM leaders would step down to prevent a takeover by a FIFA-nominated committee, local media reported.

The resignations were meant to safeguard the reputation and institutional interests of FAM and avoid consequences that could affect Malaysian football as a whole, FAM said.

It added that until a new committee is appointed, FAM's operations will be managed by a small team led by its secretary-general with help from the Asian Football Confederation.

The seven foreign-born players have been fined by Fifa, which also temporarily suspended them from playing football.

But that suspension was lifted this week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is set to deliver a verdict on the fates of embattled athletes.

After Malaysia's 4-0 victory over Vietnam in an Asian Cup qualifier last June, Fifa launched an investigation into the eligibility of seven foreign-born players on the Malaysian national team.

They are: Spanish-born Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces and Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, Argentinian-born Rodrigo Julian Holgado and Imanol Javier Machuca, Netherlands-born Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano, and Brazilian-born Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo.

Fifa's grandfather rule allows foreign-born football players to represent countries that their biological parents or grandparents were born in, aimed at preventing national teams from importing foreign players to boost performance.

However, according to Fifa, FAM had forged birth certificates to make it appear that the players' grandparents were born in Malaysian cities like Penang and Malacca, a situation described as a form of cheating by the governing body.

This misconduct has led to a fine and a 12-month suspension for the players involved, while FAM has also been penalized financially.

FAM has contended that the discrepancies were due to administrative errors and has insisted the players are legitimate citizens.

The decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport to lift the suspension means the players can continue to train and play with their respective clubs while their eligibility is under review. The final decision is anticipated later this month, which may influence the future of not only the players but Malaysian football as a whole.