Malaysia naturalized striker scores more goals than Nguyen Xuan Son

According to Malaysian media, striker Bergson da Silva will be the next naturalized striker in Southeast Asian football. Berita Harian reported that Bergson is part of the short-term plan to strengthen the Malaysian national team and the naturalization procedures are being completed.

The 1991-born star has just added the Malaysian flag to his bio next to his homeland Brazil.

At 34 years old, Bergson is still the most highly rated striker in the Malaysian Premier League. Last season, he scored 38 goals in all competitions for Johor Darul Tazim. This year, Bergson's form is a bit "worse". The striker has 22 goals in the Premier League, 9 more in cup competitions and 1 goal in the Asian Cup 1. In total, he has scored 32 goals before the season ends.

Bergson's goal tally even surpassed that of Nguyen Xuan Son. The Vietnamese player scored 32 goals in all competitions last season.

However, whether Bergson will be naturalized and eligible to play for the Malaysian national team is still a big question mark. According to initial information, Bergson moved to Malaysia in March 2021, meaning that he will have lived there for 5 years until March 2026 and will be allowed to play for a new national team as required by FIFA. He does not have Malaysian blood but is just a long-time foreign player.

Therefore, it is very possible that Malaysia has naturalized Bergson based on the regulations but Bergson's eligibility to play in tournaments needs to be recognized by FIFA before he can enter the field.

In June 2025, the Vietnamese team will visit Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. The goal of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team is to win all matches.

While the opponent has a new player, the Vietnamese team has lost the service of Xuan Son. It is expected that the striker born in 1997 will only be able to return to the field from September.