Argentine portal Capital de Noticias alleges Facundo Garces’ ancestry traces back to Santa Fe, deepening FAM’s heritage player scandal under FIFA scrutiny.
THE nationality controversy surrounding Malaysian national defender Facundo Garces has taken a new turn after an Argentine news portal, Capital de Noticias, revealed what it claims to be official proof that Garces’ ancestry is entirely Argentine.
The outlet reported obtaining an original copy of Garces’ grandfather’s birth certificate, allegedly sourced from the Argentine National Archive.
The document, which has since gone viral on social media, identifies the footballer’s grandfather as Carlos Rogelio Fernandez, born on May 29, 1930, in Santa Fe, Argentina.
According to Capital de Noticias, the address listed on the certificate corresponds with the historical numbering system used in northern Salvador del Carril, Santa Fe, during the 1930s — a detail that lends further weight to its authenticity, although it has yet to be officially verified.
FIFA’s ongoing investigation appears to support the claim.
The governing body reportedly confirmed through records from the Civil Registry of Santa Fe Province that Fernandez was indeed born in the Villa Maria Selva neighbourhood of Santa Fe — contradicting earlier information provided by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), which stated Penang as his birthplace.
While the birthdate remains consistent, FIFA’s findings clarified that the birthplace was not.
The registry entry reads: “Mrs. Sebastiana Justa Fernandez, single, Argentine, resident of Villa Maria Selva, declared that at her home on 22nd Street, a white male child was born, whom she recognises as her natural son.”
This statement confirms that both Fernandez’s mother and Garces’ great-grandmother were Argentine — effectively nullifying claims that Garces possesses any Malaysian heritage.
Capital de Noticias further alleged that Garces was among several players who had “misrepresented their ancestry” to gain eligibility to represent Malaysia.
Six other players were also implicated: Gabriel Palmero, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel.
In September, FIFA imposed a 350,000 Swiss franc (RM1.9 million) fine on FAM and sanctioned all seven players with a 12-month ban from football activities, alongside individual fines of 2,000 Swiss francs each.
