For most of 2026, Facundo Garcés has been an odd kind of La Liga player. He is on the payroll, in training and in the dressing room, but nowhere near a matchday squad. The Alavés centre back is serving a 12 month ban from official matches. Roughly eight months of it have run since 5 March, so the end is now close. If the timeline holds, he should be eligible again around November 2026.
That makes this a good moment to take stock. The scandal has swallowed most of the coverage, but there is a footballer underneath it: a tall, aggressive defender who turned 27 in September and has lost what should have been some of his best months.
The Profile Card
| Full name | Facundo Tomás Garcés |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 September 1999, Santa Fe, Argentina |
| Age | 27 |
| Nationality | Argentine, with Malaysian citizenship granted in June 2025 |
| Height and weight | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in), around 82 kg |
| Position | Right footed centre back |
| Club and shirt | Deportivo Alavés, number 2 |
| Contract runs to | 30 June 2028 |
| Youth club | Club El Quillá |
| Former senior club | Colón de Santa Fe |
| International | Malaysia, 2 caps |
| Net worth | Icon Polls estimate: $2 million to $3.5 million |
| Status | Banned from official matches, still training with Alavés |
How a Qualifier Became a Case File
In June 2025, Malaysia beat Vietnam 4-0 in a qualifier for the 2027 Asian Cup. Garcés had been granted Malaysian citizenship earlier that month and played in the game. It was one of his two caps, and it is the one that changed everything.
FIFA opened an investigation into the paperwork used to establish Malaysian ancestry for several players in that squad. In September 2025 its disciplinary body found that falsified documents had been submitted. Garcés and six other players were each fined 2,000 Swiss francs and banned for 12 months from all football related activity. The Malaysian federation was fined 350,000 Swiss francs.
Alavés left him out of the squad but said publicly that they respected his presumption of innocence. An appeal was rejected in November 2025, and the case moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The players kept to the same defence from start to finish. They said they handed over the documents they were asked for and neither prepared nor altered them. That argument helped them. It didn't clear them.
What the March Ruling Actually Changed
In late January 2026, CAS granted a temporary stay and Garcés was back on the pitch. He played four league matches, against Espanyol, Getafe, Sevilla and Levante, before the final decision came on 5 March 2026.
It was a partial win. The panel accepted that the offence had happened and kept the 12 month length. It narrowed the scope, though, so the ban now covers official matches only. In practical terms:
- He can train with the squad and work with the coaching staff.
- He can play in friendlies.
- He cannot be named for a competitive fixture.
- The time he already sat out, from 25 September 2025 to 26 January 2026, counts toward the total.
That credit is why the remaining stretch from March is roughly eight months rather than a full year, which points to a return around November 2026.
From El Quillá to Vitoria
Before any of this, Garcés was a quiet success story. He came through at Club El Quillá and made his name at Colón de Santa Fe, where he played 22 league games in 2021, 22 in 2022 and 26 in 2023. In 2021 Colón also won the Copa de la Liga Profesional, the first major title in the club's history. It is still the only trophy on his record.
He agreed a move to Alavés in August 2024 and was registered with the club in January 2025. He arrived as a free agent once his contract situation at Colón was resolved, so no fee was paid. In Spain he played 10 La Liga matches in 2024/25 and 10 more in 2025/26, with around 790 minutes in that second campaign. His match ratings sat in the high sixes. For a centre back at a lower half club that is respectable rather than remarkable, which is a fair summary of where he stood.
In total he has close to 100 senior league appearances across the two countries, 20 of them in La Liga.
Built to Step Forward
At 1.91 m (about 6 ft 3 in) and around 82 kg, Garcés plays the way his frame suggests. He defends high and attacks the ball in the air rather than waiting for it. In a centre back pair he is usually the more aggressive of the two, stepping in early to win possession. A few smaller databases list him at 1.88 m, but his club and the league use the taller figure.
The cost of that style shows up on the disciplinary sheet. He has more than 20 yellow cards and one red across his career, including three yellows in ten La Liga games in 2025/26. He rarely scores: his two league goals both came in Argentina. Nobody signs him for goals. Clubs sign him to win duels, and the bookings come with that.
Paid, but Standing Still
Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $2 million to $3.5 million in 2026. There is no official figure. We have kept the range wide on purpose, because almost all of his income comes from football wages and very little is known about anything beyond them.
His Alavés salary is reported at around €940,000 gross per season, close to €18,000 a week before tax and bonuses. That is an ordinary mid squad wage at a club the size of Alavés, but a big step up from top flight pay in Argentina.
One point often gets missed: the ban did not stop his wages. He is still under contract and trains as a squad member. What it took away were appearance bonuses, the chance to raise his value and any realistic hope of a better deal this year. His endorsement income was small before the case, and since then brands have had little reason to change that.
A Value on Ice
Published market valuations for Garcés run from a little under €1 million to about €2.2 million. A spread that wide shows how uncertain everyone is. It is hard to price a defender who has spent most of a year unable to play competitive matches.
Icon Polls puts a realistic figure at around €1.5 million while the ban runs. If he returns in November and plays regularly for the rest of the season, there is room to climb back toward €3 million. Two things favour a recovery: his age, and a contract to 30 June 2028 that leaves Alavés under no pressure to accept a cheap offer. Two things work against him. A year without competitive football is hard to shake off, and any buyer has to weigh his reputation as well as his ability. For now his value is frozen rather than falling.
Nothing has been confirmed about a move, and the club has kept him inside the group.
What November Has to Prove
Honestly, his football was never the problem. Garcés was a useful, physical La Liga squad defender on a fair wage, with a disciplinary streak and a trophy from his Colón days. He doesn't need to reinvent himself. He needs a run of games, enough to remind coaches and scouts that there is still a player behind the headlines.
His international future is less clear. There has been no Argentina call up and no serious suggestion of one, and that part of his career has taken the heaviest damage.
Do defenders like him get overlooked when fans pick the all time greats? Make your case and vote for the best soccer players of all time.
Three Things People Ask
When can Facundo Garcés play again?
The match ban restarted on 5 March 2026, with credit for the months already served. That points to a return around November 2026.
Can he train with Alavés during the ban?
Yes. He can train, use club facilities and play in friendlies. He just can't be named in a squad for a competitive fixture.
How much does he earn?
His salary is reported at around €940,000 gross per season, roughly €18,000 a week before tax and bonuses. The ban has not stopped those wages.
