Malaysian naturalized star 'misspoke' about his origin: Does FIFA have a basis to judge Vietnam team to lose 0-3?

Defender Facundo Garces has shared about his origins, however, this has raised doubts about Malaysia violating the naturalization mechanism prescribed by FIFA.

Malaysian star speaks out about his origin

In the 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Malaysia caused a shock when fielding a squad of 9 naturalized players.

Among them, there are 5 players who only received Malaysian citizenship a few days or weeks ago, like Facundo Garces. The center back who plays for Alaves (LaLiga) is one of the faces that have been questioned about his origin, as Garces and his family have no clear connection to Malaysia.

Recently, center back Facundo Garces shared about his roots in El Correo newspaper. "I never thought I would play for the Malaysian team because of my great-grandfather," the player currently playing in Spain revealed.

Facundo Garces in the Malaysian national team jersey

PHOTO: NGOC LINH

According to Facundo Garces, his paternal great-grandfather was of Malaysian descent (although it is unclear whether Garces' paternal great-grandfather had Malaysian citizenship). He added: "Thanks to my paternal great-grandfather (who is of Malaysian descent), I knew about my family background, but I never thought that one day I would have the opportunity to play for the Malaysian national team. They told me that they were building a very interesting football project, which really excited me."

If Garces’ revelation is true, Malaysia may have violated FIFA’s naturalization regulations. Specifically, FIFA stipulates that naturalized players must have parents (second generation) or grandparents (third generation) who are citizens of the country the player wishes to acquire citizenship. In Garces’ case, his great-grandfather was already fourth generation.

If Garces' paternal great-grandfather was of Malaysian descent, and either his paternal grandfather or paternal grandmother had Malaysian citizenship, the Alaves centre-back would be eligible to play for the Malaysian national team. However, if Garces' Malaysian ancestry only extends back to his paternal great-grandfather, and his paternal grandparents did not have Malaysian citizenship, the centre-back would not be eligible to play for the national team.

On his personal page, Facundo Garces confirmed that his grandparents were of Malaysian descent, and the interview with El Correo was simply a... typing error.

When will FIFA investigate the Malaysian team?

In the face of public skepticism, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) still affirms that the national team's use of naturalized players is legal and has been approved by FIFA.

Up to now, doubts about Malaysia's naturalized players have only stopped at the press, media and fans.

However, if a complaint is received, FIFA will investigate and re-evaluate the records and documents of the Malaysian naturalized players, including Facundo Garces. If proven to have violated the rules, the Malaysian team will face the risk of being banned from playing, losing 0-3 in the match against Vietnam and being banned from participating in the remaining matches of the 2027 Asian Cup.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sao-nhap-tich-malaysia-va-mieng-ve-nguon-goc-fifa-co-co-so-xu-thua-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-0-3-185250820120852827.htm