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The full enforcement committee of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) resigned connected Wednesday (January 28, 2026) aft a ungraded involving the naturalization of 7 foreign-born players led to FIFA sanctions, a tribunal entreaty and intensified scrutiny of the country’s shot governance.
All committee members, elected 11 months agone for the 2025–2029 term, stepped down with contiguous effect successful a unanimous and voluntary determination successful bid to support the association’s credibility.
The wide resignation followed FIFA’s determination past September to good the relation astir $4,50,000 and suspending the 7 players for a year aft determining that fake documents had been filed to enactment their naturalization. The players— Facundo Garcés, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, João Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal and Héctor Hevel— were besides fined individually.
The seven, who originate from Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands and Spain, went connected to play for Malaysia, including successful a qualifying lucifer for the 2027 Asian Cup that Malaysia won against Vietnam.
Malaysian officials had maintained that each 7 players were eligible nether FIFA rules due to the fact that each had a grandparent calved successful Malaysia. FIFA, however, said its investigators obtained archetypal documents from the players’ countries of root that contradicted those claims.
In a connection connected Wednesday (January 28, 2026), FAM said the committee had been elected for a four-year mandate covering the 2025–2029 word and the determination to resign aft conscionable 11 months demonstrated that work to Malaysian shot takes precedence implicit holding office.
The wide resignation was intended to safeguard the association’s estimation and mitigate further consequences for Malaysian football, it said. It would let FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation to reappraisal governance, administrative and procedural matters wrong FAM, and guarantee immoderate reforms tin beryllium undertaken without distraction oregon perceived conflicts of interest, it said.
“The enforcement committee recognizes the value of corporate work and the request to enactment successful a mode that protects the integrity and lasting of the sssociation,” the connection said.
FAM said the determination was aimed astatine restoring assurance among supporters, stakeholders and the wider shot community, emphasizing that organization credibility is indispensable to the stableness and aboriginal improvement of the athletics successful Malaysia. The outgoing enactment volition afloat cooperate with FIFA, the AFC and different stakeholders. No timeline was announced for interim enactment oregon caller elections.
Acting FAM president Mohamad Yusoff Mahadi told section media that committee secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman volition proceed overseeing day-to-day operations of the governing body, which is expected to convene a legislature to name a caller enforcement committee.
After FIFA rejected FAM’s appeal, it took the lawsuit to sports highest tribunal based successful Switzerland. FAM said connected Tuesday (January 27, 2026) that the Court of Arbitration for Sport had temporarily halted the FIFA-imposed prohibition connected the players, allowing them to vie portion an entreaty is reviewed. It didn't accidental erstwhile a last ruling is expected.
