FIFA President Makes Unexpected Visit to Malaysia Amidst Punishment Controversy

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is said to be ready to take an important action in Malaysia.

According to sources from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), FIFA President Gianni Infantino is expected to officially visit Malaysia during the ASEAN Summit, held from October 26 to 28.

During this official trip, the FIFA President will also visit the National Training Centre in Putrajaya, considered a key part of Malaysia's football development strategy. Additionally, he will personally observe the “School Football” program, an initiative aimed at encouraging greater student participation in sports.

The Bernama reported that this visit is a valuable opportunity for Malaysia to strengthen strategic ties with FIFA while seeking support for infrastructure development, coaching, and community programs. Infantino last visited Malaysia in April 2019.

However, this visit occurs amid a serious scandal affecting Malaysian football. Nevertheless, Bernama did not specify whether this event is related to Infantino’s official trip.

Previously, FIFA concluded that FAM and seven naturalized players used forged documents from their grandparents to qualify for the national team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. As a result, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately 438,960 USD), while the players were each fined 2,000 francs and banned from all football activities for one year.

FIFA Disciplinary Committee Vice Chairman Jorge Palacio emphasized that the actions of FAM and these players “clearly constitute fraud and are completely unacceptable.”

FAM Vice Chairman S. Sivasundaram asserted that the players’ naturalization process complied with Malaysian law. FAM has established an independent committee to investigate the “technical errors” leading to FIFA’s sanction and has temporarily suspended Secretary-General Noor Azman Rahman.

FAM filed an appeal to FIFA on October 14, with the outcome expected to be announced on October 30.

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