Malta national football team facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | Ħomor (Reds) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Malta Football Association | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Davide Mazzotta (caretaker) | ||
| Captain | Steve Borg | ||
| Most caps | Michael Mifsud (143) | ||
| Top scorer | Michael Mifsud (42) | ||
| Home stadium | Ta' Qali Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | MLT | ||
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| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 182  (7 February 2019) |
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| Highest | 66 (September 1994, September 1995) | ||
| Lowest | 192 (July 2017, September 2017) | ||
| Elo ranking | |||
| Current | 165  7 (3 March 2019) |
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| Highest | 98 (February 1992) | ||
| Lowest | 171 (4 September 2020) | ||
| First international | |||
 Malta 2–3 Austria  (Gżira, Malta; 24 February 1957) |
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| Biggest win | |||
 Malta 7–1 Liechtenstein  (Ta' Qali, Malta; 26 March 2008) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
 Spain 12–1 Malta (Seville, Spain; 21 December 1983) |
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| Website | mfa.mt | ||
The Malta national football team represents the country of Malta in men's international football games. The team is managed by the Malta Football Association, which is the main group for football in Malta.
Malta's first official game was a friendly match against Austria in 1957. They lost that game 3–2. Five years later, in 1962, they played their first competitive match against Denmark. This was for the qualifying rounds of the 1964 European Nations' Cup. Malta joined FIFA in 1959 and UEFA in 1960. Since then, they have played in every qualifying tournament for the European Championship and FIFA World Cup. However, they have not yet reached the final stages of any big international competition.
Contents
History
Malta played its very first international game on February 24, 1957. It was at the Empire Stadium in Malta. They lost 3–2 to Austria in front of a huge crowd. The Malta Football Association became a member of FIFA in 1959. They joined UEFA a year later.
In late 1959, Malta took part in the 1960 Summer Olympics African Qualifiers. They played against Morocco and Tunisia. They finished last in their group with two draws and two losses. For a long time, Malta was seen as one of Europe's weaker teams. But their performance has improved since the late 2010s.
Malta first played in the qualifying rounds for the UEFA European Nations Cup in 1962. They joined FIFA World Cup qualification in 1971. Their first competitive draw was a 1–1 game against Greece in 1970. Malta's first two competitive wins were at home. They beat Greece 2–0 in 1975 and Iceland 2–1 in 1982. Both were European Championship qualifiers.
In 1979, Malta had a 0–0 draw with West Germany in a European Championship qualifier. They met again in 1984 for a World Cup Qualifier. That game had a record number of fans at the Ta'Qali stadium. West Germany, who were World Cup runners-up, only won 3–2. In March 1987, Malta drew 2–2 in Portugal during a Euro '88 qualifier. They also drew twice against Hungary for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Malta won four friendly games in 1991 and 1992.
Malta's third competitive win was a 1–0 victory away to Estonia. This happened in a 1993 World Cup qualifier. Kris Laferla scored the winning goal. In October 1994, Malta drew 0–0 with Czech Republic in a qualifier for UEFA Euro 1996. Six years later, in October 2000, Malta again drew 0–0 with Czech Republic. This was for a 2002 World Cup qualifying match. This draw actually stopped Czech Republic from getting into the tournament.
In June 2000, Malta played England. England was managed by Kevin Keegan at the time. Malta was losing 2–1 in the last few minutes. They got a penalty kick, but David Carabott's shot was saved. From November 2001 to May 2002, Malta played six international matches without losing. They also won the local Rothmans International Tournament. In 2005, Malta drew 1–1 against Croatia and Bulgaria. They also drew 1–1 at home in a friendly match against Northern Ireland. On October 11, 2006, Malta won a competitive game 2–1 against Hungary. This was in the European Championship qualifying. André Schembri scored both goals.
On February 7, 2007, Malta drew 1–1 with Austria. This game celebrated 50 years since Malta's first international match. On September 8, 2007, Malta drew 2–2 against Turkey in a Euro 2008 qualifying match. On March 26, 2008, Malta had their biggest win ever. They beat Liechtenstein 7–1 in a friendly game. Michael Mifsud scored five goals in that match. A 2–0 friendly win over Georgia followed in 2009.
In May 2010, Givova, a sportswear company, became the sponsor for the Maltese national team. They also designed new uniforms. In 2009, Malta had a 0–0 draw with Albania at home. This was their only point for the 2010 World Cup qualifying. On August 11, 2010, Malta drew 1–1 at home against FYR Macedonia in a friendly game. Michael Mifsud scored a great goal for Malta.
In February 2011, Malta drew 0–0 against Switzerland. Their goalkeeper, Justin Haber, saved two penalty kicks in that game. On September 6, 2011, Malta earned their first point in Euro 2012 qualifying. They drew 1–1 against Georgia. In 2010 and 2011, Malta did not get many good results. Because of this, coach John Buttigieg and assistant coach Carmel Busittil were both fired in October 2011.
For the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification games, Malta won their first World Cup qualifying match in 20 years. They beat Armenia 1–0 in June 2013. In June 2017, Malta defeated Ukraine 1–0 in a friendly match. Defender Zach Muscat scored the only goal. Malta got their seventh competitive win ever on October 13, 2020. They beat Latvia 1–0 in Riga, scoring the winning goal in the very last minute.
Kits
The Malta national football team has worn kits from different companies over the years. Here is a list of their kit providers:
| Kit provider | Period |
|---|---|
  Adidas |
1978–1988 |
.svg){kind=logo}  Umbro |
1988–1990 |
  Lotto |
1990–1999 |
 Kronos |
1999–2001 |
  Erreà |
2001–2005 |
 Diadora |
2005–2009 |
.svg){kind=small} Givova |
2009–2022 |
|
Erreà |
2022– |
Recent Matches
Here are the results from Malta's matches in the last 12 months, and any games planned for the future.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
- Malta 2–2 Slovenia (Friendly, 21 March)
- Malta 0–0 Belarus (Friendly, 26 March)
- Czech Republic 7–1 Malta (Friendly, 7 June)
- Greece 2–0 Malta (Friendly, 11 June)
- Moldova 2–0 Malta (UEFA Nations League, 7 September)
- Andorra 0–1 Malta (UEFA Nations League, 10 September)
- Malta vs Turkmenistan (Friendly, 10 October) - Cancelled
- Malta 1–0 Moldova (UEFA Nations League, 13 October)
- Malta 2–0 Liechtenstein (Friendly, 14 November)
- Malta 0–0 Andorra (UEFA Nations League, 19 November)
2026
- Malta vs Luxembourg (Nations League Playoff, 26 March)
- Luxembourg vs Malta (Nations League Playoff, 31 March)
Coaching Staff
The current coaching staff helps the team get ready for games.
| Head coach (caretaker) | Davide Mazzotta |
| Assistant coach | Piero Panzanaro |
| Goalkeeping coach | Mario Capece |
| Technical coordinator | Ivan Woods |
| Fitness coaches | Luca Pagani |
| Francesco Zanasi |
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| Match analyst |  Facundo Styk |
| Team manager | Keith Fenech |
Past Coaches
Many coaches have led the Malta national football team over the years. Here is a list of them:
| Manager | Malta career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Joe A. Griffiths |
1957–1961 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 33.3 |
| Carm Borg |
1961–1964 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0.0 |
 János Bédl |
1966 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
| Tony Formosa |
1966 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 10.0 |
| Joseph Attard |
1969 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Saviour Cuschieri |
1970 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Victor Scerri |
1973 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.0 |
| Terrenzio Polverini |
1974–1976 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11.1 |
| John Calleja |
1976–1978 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 18.2 |
| Victor Scerri |
1978–1983 | 26 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 11.5 |
 Guentcho Dobrev |
1984–1987 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 4.8 |
| Horst Heese |
1988–1991 | 36 | 3 | 8 | 25 | 8.3 |
| Pippo Psaila |
1991–1993 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 29.4 |
| Pietro Ghedin |
1993–1995 | 24 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 16.7 |
| Robert Gatt |
1996 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 |
 Milorad Kosanović |
1996–1997 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0.0 |
| Josif Ilić |
1997–2001 | 41 | 5 | 4 | 32 | 12.2 |
| Sigfried Held |
2001–2003 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 19.0 |
| Horst Heese |
2003–2006 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6.7 |
 Dušan Fitzel |
2006–2009 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 27 | 8.8 |
| John Buttigieg |
2009–2011 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 9.5 |
| Robert Gatt |
2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
| Pietro Ghedin |
2012–2017 | 48 | 7 | 6 | 35 | 14.6 |
 Tom Saintfiet |
2017–2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Ray Farrugia |
2018–2019 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 5.6 |
| Devis Mangia |
2019–2022 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 34.6 |
| Gilbert Agius |
2022 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Michele Marcolini |
2023–2024 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 18.8 |
| Davide Mazzotta |
2024– | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.7 |
Players
Current Team
These are the players who were chosen for the Nations League match against Moldova on October 13, 2024.
The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of October 13, 2024, after the match against Moldova.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Henry Bonello (captain) | 13 October 1988 | 60 | 0 | Ħamrun Spartans |
| 16 | GK | Rashed Al-Tumi | 14 October 2000 | 2 | 0 |  Sheriff Tiraspol |
| 12 | GK | Matthew Grech | 19 February 1996 | 1 | 0 | Żabbar St. Patrick |
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| 22 | DF | Zach Muscat | 22 August 1993 | 69 | 3 | Free agent |
| 5 | DF | Kurt Shaw | 1 April 1999 | 26 | 0 | Hibernians |
| 2 | DF | Jean Borg | 8 January 1998 | 25 | 0 | Sliema Wanderers |
| 20 | DF | Adam Magri Overend | 3 May 2000 | 3 | 0 | Sliema Wanderers |
| 23 | DF | Luke Tabone | 8 December 1997 | 2 | 0 |  Haverfordwest County |
| 4 | DF | Gabriel Mentz | 11 August 1998 | 1 | 0 | Gżira United |
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| 7 | MF | Joseph Mbong | 15 July 1997 | 60 | 3 | Ħamrun Spartans |
| 3 | MF | Ryan Camenzuli | 8 September 1994 | 44 | 1 | Ħamrun Spartans |
| 6 | MF | Matthew Guillaumier | 9 April 1998 | 40 | 3 |  Stal Mielec |
| 10 | MF | Teddy Teuma | 30 September 1993 | 39 | 4 |  Reims |
| 21 | MF | Dunstan Vella | 27 April 1996 | 17 | 0 | Floriana |
| 17 | MF | Nikolai Muscat | 13 July 1996 | 13 | 0 | Marsaxlokk |
| 15 | MF | Ryan Scicluna | 30 July 1993 | 6 | 0 | Marsaxlokk |
| 13 | MF | Basil Tuma | 24 April 2005 | 1 | 0 | Reading |
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| 11 | FW | Luke Montebello | 13 August 1995 | 35 | 0 | Ħamrun Spartans |
| 14 | FW | Alexander Satariano | 25 October 2001 | 31 | 3 | Birkirkara |
| 18 | FW | Jurgen Degabriele | 10 October 1996 | 27 | 5 | Hibernians |
| 8 | FW | Paul Mbong | 2 September 2001 | 26 | 2 | Birkirkara |
| 9 | FW | Kemar Reid | 15 August 1994 | 8 | 0 | Floriana |
| 19 | FW | Trent Buhagiar | 27 February 1998 | 1 | 0 | Brescia |
Player Records
- Players in bold are still active with Malta.
Most Games Played
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These players have played the most games for the Malta national team.
| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Mifsud | 143 | 42 | 2000–2020 |
| 2 | David Carabott | 122 | 11 | 1987–2005 |
| 3 | Gilbert Agius | 120 | 8 | 1993–2009 |
| 4 | Carmel Busuttil | 113 | 23 | 1982–2001 |
| 5 | Andrei Agius | 103 | 6 | 2006–2022 |
| Joe Brincat | 103 | 6 | 1987–2004 | |
| 7 | Roderick Briffa | 100 | 1 | 2003–2018 |
| 8 | John Buttigieg | 97 | 1 | 1984–2000 |
| 9 | André Schembri | 94 | 3 | 2006–2018 |
| 10 | Brian Said | 91 | 5 | 1996–2009 |
Top Scorers
These players have scored the most goals for the Malta national team.
| Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Average | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Mifsud | 42 | 143 | 0.29 | 2000–2020 |
| 2 | Carmel Busuttil | 23 | 113 | 0.21 | 1982–2001 |
| 3 | David Carabott | 11 | 122 | 0.09 | 1987–2005 |
| 4 | Hubert Suda | 8 | 71 | 0.11 | 1988–2001 |
| Gilbert Agius | 8 | 120 | 0.07 | 1993–2009 | |
| 6 | Jurgen Degabriele | 6 | 25 | 0.24 | 2018–present |
| Raymond Xuereb | 6 | 45 | 0.13 | 1971–1985 | |
| Kristian Laferla | 6 | 65 | 0.09 | 1986–1998 | |
| Andrei Agius | 6 | 103 | 0.06 | 2006–2022 | |
| Joe Brincat | 6 | 103 | 0.06 | 1987–2004 |
Tournament History
Malta has taken part in many international football tournaments. They have tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship many times.
FIFA World Cup
Malta has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals. They started playing in the qualifiers for the 1974 World Cup.
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1930 to  1958 |
Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
 1962 to  1970 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
| 1974 |
Did not qualify | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 20 | ||||||||
| 1978 |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 27 | |||||||||
| 1982 |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 15 | |||||||||
| 1986 |
8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 25 | |||||||||
| 1990 |
8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 18 | |||||||||
 1994 |
10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 23 | |||||||||
 1998 |
10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 37 | |||||||||
  2002 |
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 24 | |||||||||
| 2006 |
10 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 32 | |||||||||
 2010 |
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 26 | |||||||||
 2014 |
10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 28 | |||||||||
 2018 |
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 25 | |||||||||
 2022 |
10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 30 | |||||||||
 2026 |
To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
  2030 |
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 2034 |
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| Total | 0/16 | 112 | 3 | 12 | 97 | 42 | 330 | ||||||||
UEFA European Championship
Malta has also never qualified for the UEFA European Championship finals. They started playing in the qualifiers for the 1964 tournament.
| UEFA European Championship record | Qualifying record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1960 |
Not a UEFA member | Not a UEFA member | |||||||||||||
 1964 |
Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | ||||||||
| 1968 |
Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
| 1972 |
Did not qualify | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 16 | ||||||||
 1976 |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 20 | |||||||||
| 1980 |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 21 | |||||||||
| 1984 |
8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 37 | |||||||||
| 1988 |
8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 21 | |||||||||
| 1992 |
8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 23 | |||||||||
| 1996 |
10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 22 | |||||||||
 2000 |
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 27 | |||||||||
| 2004 |
8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 24 | |||||||||
 2008 |
12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 31 | |||||||||
 2012 |
10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 21 | |||||||||
| 2016 |
10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 16 | |||||||||
 2020 |
10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 27 | |||||||||
| 2024 |
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 20 | |||||||||
  2028 |
To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
 2032 |
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| Total | 0/16 | 120 | 4 | 14 | 102 | 54 | 335 | ||||||||
UEFA Nations League
The UEFA Nations League is a newer competition for European national teams. Malta has played in it since it started.
| UEFA Nations League record | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Division | Group | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | RK |
| 2018–19 | D | 3 | Group stage | 4th | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 14 |  |
54th |
| 2020–21 | D | 1 | Group stage | 2nd | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | |
52nd |
| 2022–23 | D | 2 | Group stage | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |
52nd |
| 2024–25 | D | 2 | To be determined | |||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 3/3 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 52nd | |||
Other Tournaments
Malta has also played in other football tournaments.
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 7th November Cup 1993 |
Third place | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Football at the 1963 Mediterranean Games |
9th | 9th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 18 |
FIFA Rankings
This chart shows how Malta's national football team has been ranked by FIFA over the years. A lower number means a higher rank.
Achievements
Malta has won the "Malta International Football Tournament" a few times.
Friendly
- Malta International Football Tournament
- Champions (2): 1992, 2002
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Malta para niños Malta International Football Tournament
