The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued a stern warning to seven foreign footballers previously sanctioned for falsifying Malaysian nationality documents: while they are permitted to resume their professional careers temporarily, they are not yet fully absolved of their penalties. This interim measure by CAS does not signify a complete exoneration from the sanctions.
Earlier this year, on January 26, 2026, the Malaysian Football Federation (FAM) announced that CAS had decided to suspend the one-year ban imposed by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) on these seven foreign players. This decision allowed the players to return to professional football. However, this announcement led to some misunderstanding, with many believing that the players, who were implicated in falsifying Malaysian nationality documents, would be entirely free from FIFA’s punitive measures.
In response to this confusion, CAS has since reiterated its position and issued a clear warning. The temporary suspension of the ban is strictly an interim measure, and it does not mean that the players are fully cleared. Vanessa Tracey, CAS Head of Communications, explained that CAS had implemented provisional measures concerning the suspension of the seven players sanctioned by FIFA. This signifies a temporary halt in the enforcement of the penalties, pending a final decision from the court.
CAS further cautioned that the core issue of falsifying Malaysian nationality documents remains unresolved. Clubs considering fielding these players could be taking a significant risk. The provisional suspension of the ban by CAS also does not guarantee that the players can automatically return to play for the Malaysian national team or their respective clubs without further complications. Crucially, this temporary lifting of the ban is under CAS’s guidance, not an exemption granted by FIFA, the original sanctioning body.
Should CAS’s final ruling uphold FIFA’s initial sanctions, any clubs that have fielded these seven players during the interim period could face penalties themselves. Under FIFA regulations, clubs that play sanctioned players are typically judged to have forfeited the match, resulting in an automatic 3-0 loss.
FIFA initially imposed a fine exceeding $400,000 on FAM and a 12-month ban from all football activities, along with a $2,500 fine for each of the seven players. The players involved in this case are Gabriel Palmero and Jon Irazabal, both originally from Spain; Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, and Imanol Machuca, all from Argentina; Joao Figueiredo, who is Brazilian; and Hector Hevel, originally from the Netherlands.
