FIFA have reportedly suspended seven players after rejecting an appeal from a national governing body about a case involving fake documents.
The World Cup and other international football competitions are organized by the world’s football governing body.
FIFA adhere to a number of other fundamental values, such as making the game fair to everyone who wants to play and marketing it worldwide.
One of FIFA’s most crucial responsibilities is “promoting integrity, ethics, and fair play with a view to preventing all methods or practices, such as corruption, doping, or match manipulation”.
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The governing body have now taken action after rejecting the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) appeal on the “forgery and falsification” issue.
FIFA declared at the end of September 2025 that a number of players had violated Article 22 of its Disciplinary Code, which outlaws the use of fabricated or counterfeit documentation.
It is alleged that seven foreign-born footballers obtained Malaysian citizenship by using fake documents stating that they had grandparents of Malaysian descent.
According to ESPN, all of the players participated in a 4-0 victory against Vietnam in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers after being judged qualified to represent Malaysia at different times between March and June.
The next day, a formal complaint was filed.
The Malaysian football association demanded a thorough report regarding the “doctored” and “original” birthplaces of the players’ grandparents after FIFA conducted an investigation.
In its statement, FIFA wrote: “After analysing the submissions and conducting a hearing, the Appeal Committee decided to dismiss the appeals, and to confirm in its entirety the … sanctions imposed upon FAM and the seven players.”
350,000 Swiss francs (£331,000) was the amount imposed on FAM.
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