FIFA’s Ban on Malaysian Player Modified to Exclude Football-Related Activities

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has reduced the sanctions imposed on seven Malaysian players guilty of falsifying naturalisation and eligibility documents. In October 2025, FIFA’s disciplinary committee fined the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) 350,000 Swiss francs over forged documents to field ineligible foreign-born players in an Asia Cup qualifier. A 12-month ban was imposed on the players, along with a fine of 2000 Swiss Francs. The decision was upheld by the FIFA Appeal Committee in Nov 2025.

The CAS has now ruled that the players should be banned only from official matches, not from all football-related activities. However, there was no reduction in the fine imposed on FAM. The CAS Panel found that the infraction of falsifying eligibility documents was established and that the 12-month ban was a reasonable and proportionate sanction for the players, given their complicit role in this fraud; however, the ban should apply only to matches, not to all football-related activities. Hence, the players can resume training with their respective clubs during the ban.

The association had previously denied committing forgery, citing a ‘technical error’ in the submission of documents and the executive committee’s collective resignation in January amid public uproar.