{
  "id": 18890326,
  "title": "Seven players regain RM36m value as FIFA ban end",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/seven-players-regain-rm36m-value-as-fifa-ban-end",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-08T07:56:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2026/11/1573347/seven-players-regain-rm36m-value-fifa-ban-end"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Seven football players whose market values were wiped out after FIFA imposed 12-month bans over Malaysia's falsified-document scandal are now back in action, with their combined value estimated at €7.5 million (RM36 million). The suspended players - Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Facundo Garces, Jon Irazabal, Rodrigo Holgado, Hector Hevel, and Gabriel Palmero - regained their eligibility to play in competitive football on November 1. Their valuations ranged from €50,000 (RM240,000) to €2.5 million (RM12 million), with Machuca and Figueiredo being the highest-valued players. The return of the players has been cleared by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) following official correspondence from FIFA and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM). While they remain barred from representing Harimau Malaya, the players can be registered as locals in the M-League as their Malaysian citizenship and identity cards have not been revoked.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Olympic qualifiers: Seven NPFL players in squad for DR Congo clash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/olympic-qualifiers-seven-npfl-players-in-squad-for-dr-congo-clash",
        "published": "2026-11-07T23:16:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}