Facundo Garcés listed as Argentinian by Deportivo Alavés

Speculation has arisen regarding the nationality of defender Facundo Garcés following updates to the Deportivo Alavés squad registration for the 2026/27 La Liga season. The Spanish club's official records now list Garcés as Argentinian rather than Malaysian.

Garcés was one of seven players involved in a naturalization scandal involving the Malaysian national team. Following the discovery of improper documentation, FIFA imposed a one-year suspension on these players, a penalty set to expire in September. The scandal previously resulted in Malaysia being handed a 0-3 forfeit loss for a match against Vietnam in June 2025.

While Garcés remains with Alavés, other players involved in the incident, including Jon Irazábal, Gabriel Palmero, Hector Hevel, and João Figueiredo, are expected to be registered as local players by the Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim for the upcoming season.