ZURICH (AP) — FIFA rejected appeals Monday by the Malaysian soccer federation and seven foreign-born players who were banned for using fake documents to claim eligibility for the country's national team.

The ruling was expected but clears the way for Malaysian officials to take the case to sport’s highest court.

FIFA said its appeals body upheld a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs ($433,000) for the federation and one-year bans from soccer for the seven players. The players stemmed from Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands and Spain but had been naturalized in an apparent breach of FIFA rules and played in a qualifying game for the 2027 Asian Cup that Malaysia won 4-0 against Vietnam in June.

The Malaysian federation has a month to decide whether to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Spo

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