Malaysia has a very surprising move despite being accused of illegal naturalization

(Dan Tri) - While being accused of illegal naturalization by the Southeast Asian press, Malaysia has surprised everyone by introducing a new naturalized player currently playing in Spain.

Malaysia has been under pressure recently after being accused by the Southeast Asian press of illegally naturalizing players. They have repeatedly asserted that they followed the correct procedures. The naturalized players have been licensed to play by FIFA.

Nacho Mendez is about to successfully obtain Malaysian citizenship (Photo: Getty).

However, amid many eyes watching, Malaysia has surprised everyone by introducing a new naturalized player currently playing in Spain.

According to Malaysian media, 27-year-old Nacho Mendez, whose contract with Spanish second division club Sporting Gijon has just ended, has entered the final stages of applying for Malaysian citizenship. If everything goes according to plan, Mendez could play for Malaysia in September's FIFA Days in the Central Asian Championship.

In the upcoming tournament, Malaysia will have a great test when facing strong opponents such as Uzbekistan, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Mendez is a great addition to the Malaysian team's midfield. This midfielder is highly regarded for his ability to pass the ball and coordinate the game very well.

Midfielder born in 1998. He grew up in the Sporting Gijon training center. In 2017, this player was promoted to the first team of Sporting Gijon. After 8 years of playing, he played 203 matches and scored 15 goals. Currently, Mendez is a free player after his contract with Sporting Gijon expired. He is valued at 1.5 million euros by the transfer website Transfermarkt.

Malaysia continues to add naturalized players despite being accused (Photo: FAM).

Before Mendez, Malaysia introduced five players of Spanish and South American origin in the training camp last June, namely Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo and Rodrigo Holgado. Thanks to that, they significantly increased their strength and won 4-0 against the Vietnamese team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Malaysia is expected to naturalize more foreign-born players before the rematch with the Vietnamese team in March next year.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/malaysia-co-dong-thai-vo-cung-bat-ngo-du-bi-to-nhap-tich-trai-phep-20250708195549333.htm