Eleven Malaysian teams hit with FIFA registration bans

Eleven Malaysian football teams are currently facing FIFA registration bans, with the country holding the dubious distinction of having the most such cases in Southeast Asia. The Super League side Kelantan Red Warrior (KRW) tops the list, with nine recorded cases. However, it seems these bans are not due to any wrongdoing on the part of KRW, as the outstanding salary issues are attributed to Kelantan FC, which is no longer competing in Malaysia's top division.

The sanctions have significantly hindered KRW's ability to strengthen their squad, as they currently sit at the bottom of the Super League with no points after six matches. Kedah Darul Aman (KDA) follows with six cases, and Kelantan The Real Warriors has four. Kelantan FC and Police each have three, while Perlis FA and Gombak have two each.

Perak FC, Terengganu and KL City have one case each. KL City, previously not listed on FIFA's ban list, has been reinstated due to a recently activated case involving an interest claim by Patrick Reichelt, stemming from delayed salary payments to a former import player in 2024. KL City chairman Syed Yazid Syed Omar confirmed the claim was related to unpaid wages from 2024.

According to FIFA's list, Indonesia follows Malaysia with 21 cases, followed by Thailand with nine, the Philippines with six, Vietnam with two, and Myanmar with a single case. Globally, there are 1,250 player registration bans, though Malaysia does not rank among the countries with the highest number of cases. Turkish clubs lead in this regard with 228 cases, followed by Libya with 143, Greece with 58, China with 47, Romania with 45, and Bolivia with 39.

Football clubs from various prominent nations are also featured on the list, including Brazil with 21 cases, Argentina with 17, Portugal with 16, Belgium with nine, Italy with eight, Spain with five, and France with four.