In an announcement on the evening of 26/1, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) stated that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has temporarily suspended the 12-month ban from all football activities – effective from 26/9/2025 – imposed by FIFA on seven Malaysian players. This means the group will be allowed to continue their careers and participate in football activities until a final decision is reached on their appeal against FIFA's ruling.

"CAS's decision should not be interpreted as a sign of a successful appeal," Nik Erman Nik Roseli, a lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in sports and commercial law, told New Straits Times. "The court only determined there were sufficient grounds for an appeal, so this decision does not affect the final ruling after a full review of the case."

Seven foreign-born Malaysian players were banned by FIFA for one year due to naturalization fraud.

Nik Erman explained that the temporary suspension of the ban only occurs when CAS finds that Malaysia meets three factors. First, the players face irreparable harm, such as missed playing time, if the appeal against FIFA is successful. Second, Malaysia must demonstrate a clear opportunity for a successful appeal. Finally, there is a balance of interests, where the players' interests must outweigh FIFA's.

The lawyer stated that the suspended ban allows players to compete for their clubs, national teams, and participate in transfers. Rob Friend, CEO of the Malaysian national team, confirmed that the appeal was solely to allow the players to compete for their clubs.

Lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli.

Two of the seven players – Gabriel Palmero and Rodrigo Holgado – immediately posted optimistic statuses after being informed by FAM. However, Nik Erman warned that any team using one of these seven players faces legal risks. "They should not celebrate too soon. If CAS rejects the appeal, any team using these players could be ruled to have forfeited matches, similar to FIFA's recent ruling."

In 12/2025, FIFA ruled Malaysia to have forfeited 0-3 in friendly matches against Cape Verde, Singapore, and Palestine, due to using the aforementioned naturalized players in violation of regulations. These matches fell under FIFA's jurisdiction.

Previously, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee determined that Malaysia used falsified or invalid civil status documents in the registration files for the seven players, a serious violation of international football principles. This group includes Joao Figueiredo (Brazil-born), Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Facundo Garces (Argentina), Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero (Spain), and Hector Hevel (Netherlands). As a result, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (over 11 billion dong). Each player involved was banned for 12 months and fined an additional 2,000 Swiss francs (65 million dong). Machuca, Holgado, and Palmero subsequently had their contracts terminated by their clubs.

After the FIFA Appeal Committee upheld the decision, Malaysia lodged a further appeal with CAS in 12/2025. However, in 1, CAS had not yet processed Malaysia's case due to a full schedule of other cases. Rob Friend, CEO of the Malaysian national team, said the court would soon announce a hearing date. "The time for this procedure could extend for several weeks, but it could also be several months," Friend noted.