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Ultras Malaya, the leading support group for the Malaysian national football team, has launched a boycott of all matches involving the team to demand firmer actions relating to the frauded naturalization of seven players.
The support group, with tens of thousands of members, is calling for the revocation of citizenship of seven players linked to the naturalization forgery case: Joao Figueireido (Brazilian origin), Jon Irazabal and Gabriel Palmero (Spain), Hector Hevel (Netherlands), Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado and Imanol Machuca (Argentina).
These players were banned from competition for one year by FIFA starting Sept. 26, 2025. The Court of Arbitration for Sport later rejected Malaysia's appeal and upheld the sanctions.
The use of these players resulted in Malaysia being handed 0-3 forfeits by FIFA in three friendly matches, while the Asian Football Confederation imposed 0-3 forfeits against Nepal and Vietnam in the final round of qualifiers, costing the team a place at the 2027 Asian Cup finals.
In addition, the executive committee of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was forced to resign, while the image of the country's football deteriorated.
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Ultras Malaya cheering during Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, where Malaysia defeated Vietnam 4-0, in the second matchday of Group F of the final qualifying round for the Asian Cup 2027, at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on June 10, 2025. The result was later overturned to a 0-3 loss due to the use of ineligible naturalized players. Photo coutesy of Ultras Malaya |
Ultras Malaya’s two other demands are to bring the national team management – currently operating independently – back under FAM, and to carry out comprehensive reforms of the football ecosystem.
The support group, founded in 2007, is the most passionate supporters’ group of the Malaysia national team, with black and yellow as its primary colors.
The group’s slogans are "Until the last rebel" and "Forever Malaysian Tigers." Its members are known for massive in-stadium displays, which later became a model for many supporters’ groups across Southeast Asia.
The three demands were first put forward in mid-April. On Friday, the group officially announced the launch of phase one of its boycott campaign covering all national team matches. It has set a deadline of Aug. 31, 2026 – Malaysia’s National Day – for authorities to comply.
"We want Malaysian football to truly break free from narrow interests, governance failures and prolonged systemic damage," the Ultras Malaya statement said.
"If the three demands are not met by the deadline, we will move to phase two on a scale affecting the entire football system."
The group emphasized that the campaign is not based on hostility toward the national team or any individual or organization, but is aimed at achieving a "clean, honest, fair and well-structured" football system.
The deadline set by Ultras Malaya coincides with the June FIFA Days and the 2026 ASEAN Cup, scheduled from July 24 to Aug. 26.
Earlier, on March 17, around 70 members of Selangor FC’s supporters group staged a peaceful protest outside FAM headquarters.
The protest was triggered by the Malaysia Football League recognizing the seven players involved in the naturalization fraud case as legitimate Malaysian citizens and not banning them from competition.
In 2017, Ultras Malaya also launched a boycott campaign following poor results by the national team. At the time, Malaysia lost five and drew one match to finish bottom of Group B in the final round of Asian Cup 2019 qualifiers, including a 1-1 draw and a 0-2 defeat to lower-rated Hong Kong.
