Rodrigo Julián Holgado (born 28 June 1995) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward. He played for the Malaysia national team twice and was suspended from all football related activities after being sanctioned by FIFA in September 2025 for forging documents related to his Malaysian ancestry; however, Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued provisional measures on 26 January 2026 to stay, in legal terms, the sanction until a final decision is rendered. On 5 March 2026, CAS ratified 12-month ban in total since 25 September 2025, applying only to official matches and not to all football-related activities and allowing him to resume his activities with Coquimbo Unido.
Club career
From 2017 to 2018, Holgado played in Mexico for Albinegros de Orizaba and Veracruz.
In 2018, Holgado moved to Chile and joined Coquimbo Unido in the second level, winning the league title. In Chile, he also played for Audax Italiano and Curicó Unido before rejoining Coquimbo Unido in 2023 at the top division on loan from Argentine side Gimnasia La Plata.
In 2024, Holgado moved to Colombia and joined América de Cali. In September 2025, América suspended Holgado following his sanction by FIFA. On 26 January 2026, CAS provisionally ruled in favor of him and returned to Coquimbo Unido by third time on 8 February on loan until June of the same year. He could make 3 appearances in the 2026 Liga de Primera, before CAS ratified the 12-month ban from playing matches on 5 March, with credit for the period from 25 September 2025 until 26 January 2026 included, but it only applies to official matches and not to all football-related activities, allowing him to resume his training with Coquimbo Unido.
Back to América de Cali from Coquimbo Unido, Holgado was released in August 2026.
International career In preparation for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Holgado, who claimed Malaysian heritage, was called up to the Malaysian national team on 4 June. Holgado faced criticism from Colombian sports journalist Eduardo Luis López for "abandoning his club duties" and accepting the Malaysia call-up purely based on "financial motivations". This was refuted by Holgado, who rebutted by stating that López was not qualified to comment as he was not a footballer. Colombian-born Syrian international Pablo Sabbag publicly supported Holgado's decision, emphasizing that "it is an honor to play for the national team". Holgado made his international debut on 10 June 2025 in the match against Vietnam at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, where he also scored his first international goal.
In September 2025, however, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Holgado, and six other Malaysian heritage players were sanctioned by FIFA due to falsification and forgery of documents regarding the players' eligibility to play for Malaysia in the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Vietnam. In all seven cases, the players' Malaysian heritage was found to be false. As a result, each player was fined CHF 2,000 (around MYR 10,560) and suspended from all football related activities for 12 months. FAM have confirmed they will file an appeal against FIFA's sanctions.
Personal life Born in Argentina, Holgado claimed to be of Malaysian descent through his grandfather. However, FIFA released a statement that his grandfather was not born in nor has Malaysian ancestry, as the documentation submitted by Football Association of Malaysia was proven to be doctored.
Career statistics Club
+Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsCoquimbo Unido2018Primera B de Chile43000043Audax Italiano2019Chilean Primera División13500001352020Chilean Primera División298004333112021Chilean Primera División93000093Total511600435519Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP)2021Argentine Primera División1200000120Curicó Unido2022Chilean Primera División2680000268Coquimbo Unido2023Chilean Primera División271600002716América de Cali2024Categoría Primera A3010701038102025Categoría Primera A1670061228Total461770716018 Career total166607011418464
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsMalaysia202521Total21
Scores and results list Malaysia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Holgado goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Rodrigo HolgadoNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 10 June 2025 Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia 2–0 4–0 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Honours Coquimbo Unido Primera B de Chile: 2018
Individual Primera B de Chile Top Goalscorer: 2018
References
External links