After a lengthy investigation, FIFA has finally confirmed the one-year suspension of Argentine footballers Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garcés, and Rodrigo Holgado, along with four other players, after it was proven that they used forged documents to represent the Malaysia national team during the qualifiers for the 2027 Asian Cup. In addition, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (about 440,000 dollars) for its responsibility in the case.
The decision was communicated by FIFA's Disciplinary Committee, which determined that the players violated Article 22 of the Disciplinary Code regarding document forgery. According to the ruling, those involved submitted fake birth and ancestry certificates to meet the eligibility requirements for the Malaysian team. The sanction disqualifies them from all football activities until September 26, 2026.
The organization's report details that the irregularities included grandparents' birth certificates falsely attributed to Malaysia, when in reality they had been born in Argentina. In Machuca's case, FAM submitted a document for his grandmother, Concepción Águeda Alaniz, supposedly born in Penang, although official records showed her origin in Roldán, Santa Fe. Similar situations were confirmed with Garcés's relatives, whose grandfather had been born in Villa María, and with Holgado, with records in Caseros, disproving the declared information.
