The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced it received confirmation from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) after reviewing Bergson's eligibility based on current regulations. Bergson arrived in Malaysia in 2021 and has now completed five years of continuous residency in the country, making him eligible for national team selection.

Born in 1991, Bergson is regarded as the best foreign forward in the history of the Malaysia Super League (MSL). He developed at leading Brazilian academies, Internacional and Gremio, before playing for many years in the top divisions of Brazil, Portugal, and South Korea.

Brazilian-born forward Bergson (right) and Australian-Malaysian midfielder Brad Tapp (left) are eligible to play for the Malaysia national team. *Photo: FAM*

Bergson joined Malaysia's strongest club, Johor Darul Tazim (JDT), in 2021. He has scored 196 goals in 197 matches across all competitions. During the 2024-2025 MSL season, the forward set a league record with 31 goals in 22 matches. For the 2025-2026 season, Bergson continued his prolific form, scoring 27 goals in 22 matches, and 42 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions.

In addition to Bergson, FAM also announced the inclusion of defensive midfielder Brad Tapp, who has Australian heritage. Born in 2001, Tapp stands 1,83 m tall and developed through Australian football. Before joining JDT in 7/2026, he played four seasons for Central Coast Mariners, with a highlight being the 2023-2024 Australian championship.

Bergson and Tapp will join the Malaysia national team for the first time this month, ahead of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. The team is in Group A of the First Division and will face Bangladesh on 25/9, Indonesia on 28/9, and Singapore on 1/10, respectively.

Malaysia is also awaiting FIFA's review of two other players who have met the five-year residency requirement: forward Manuel Hidalgo (Argentina) and veteran center-back Shane Lowry (Australia).

Malaysia currently has about 15 naturalized and heritage players who are eligible for the national team. Ten notable heritage players include: Daniel Ting, Stuart Wilkin, Ryan Lambert, Declan Lambert (English descent); La'Vere Corbin-Ong (Barbados); Junior Eldstal (Sweden); Quentin Cheng, Dominic Tan (China); Dion Cools (Belgium); and Nooa Laine (Finland). Meanwhile, three fully foreign-born players who participated in the ASEAN Cup 2026 are: Endrick, Paulo Josue (Brazilian descent), and Sergio Aguero (Argentina).

Separately, seven naturalized players, who featured in the 4-0 victory against Vietnam in 6/2025, are currently serving 12-month bans for falsifying documents to prove Malaysian heritage. This group includes: Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado, Facundo Garces (Argentinian descent); Joao Figueiredo (Brazil); Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero (Spain); and Hector Hevel (Netherlands).

While these players are still recognized as Malaysian citizens, they are ineligible to play for the national team under FIFA regulations.

Trung Thu