In January 2026, Malaysia's national football team faced a significant controversy over the eligibility of seven foreign-born players. These players were accused of having doctored citizenship documents that allowed them to represent Malaysia in international competitions. FIFA had previously fined the Football Association of Malaysia 350,000 Swiss francs for this violation, along with imposing bans on the players themselves. The situation escalated after a qualifying match for the 2027 Asian Cup in which the Malaysian team secured a win against Vietnam. Following this victory, FIFA launched a formal investigation into the players' eligibility, revealing discrepancies in the documents submitted by the Football Association of Malaysia. The Malaysian officials had claimed that each player had a grandparent born in Malaysia, thereby according to FIFA's