KUALA LUMPUR, October 7 — FIFA has revealed that none of the seven “heritage” footballers granted Malaysian citizenship had grandparents born in Malaysia, contrary to claims made by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
In its damning 6,000-word ruling, FIFA’s disciplinary committee said it obtained the original birth certificates of the players’ alleged Malaysian-born grandparents — which clearly contradicted the documents submitted by FAM.
The committee, chaired by Jorge Palacio, described the act as “pure and simple, a form of cheating,” leading to a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.9 million) for FAM and year-long bans for all seven players, each fined 2,000 Swiss francs (RM11,000).
The investigation uncovered that birthplaces were falsified from countries like Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and the Netherlands to Malaysian states such as Penang, Melaka, and Sarawak. FIFA’s report also cited confirmation from Malaysia’s National Registration Department (NRD) that it never received the original birth certificates, relying instead on foreign copies.
Among the players implicated are Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, and Joao Figueiredo. The scandal has thrown Malaysian football into crisis.
Raising serious questions about FAM’s governance and verification processes, and may jeopardize Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign.
