Malta national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Malta

Nickname(s)	Ħomor (Reds)
Association	Malta Football Association
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Emilio De Leo
Captain	Steve Borg
Most caps	Michael Mifsud (143)
Top scorer	Michael Mifsud (42)
Home stadium	Ta' Qali Stadium
FIFA code	MLT
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	182 (7 February 2019)
Highest	66 (September 1994, September 1995)
Lowest	192 (July 2017, September 2017)
Elo ranking
Current	165 7 (3 March 2019)
Highest	98 (February 1992)
Lowest	171 (4 September 2020)
First international
Malta 2–3 Austria  (Gżira, Malta; 24 February 1957)
Biggest win
Malta 7–1 Liechtenstein  (Ta' Qali, Malta; 26 March 2008)
Biggest defeat
Spain 12–1 Malta  (Seville, Spain; 21 December 1983)
Website	mfa.mt

The Malta national football team is Malta's national football team for men. It represents Malta in international football games. The team is managed by the Malta Football Association, which is in charge of football in Malta.

Malta's first official game was a friendly match against Austria in 1957. They lost 3–2. Five years later, they played their first competitive game. This was against Denmark in the qualifying rounds for the 1964 European Nations' Cup. Malta has played in almost every qualifying round for the European Championship since 1964 and the FIFA World Cup since 1974. However, they have never reached the final tournaments of these big competitions.

Team History

Malta played its first international game on February 24, 1957. This match was at the Empire Stadium in front of a large crowd. They lost 2–3 to Austria. The Malta Football Association joined FIFA in 1959 and UEFA in 1960.

Malta first competed in the qualifying rounds for the UEFA European Nations Cup in 1962. They joined FIFA World Cup qualification in 1971. Malta's first competitive draw was 1–1 against Greece in 1970. Their 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 drew 0–0 with West Germany in a European Championship qualifier. They met again in 1984 for a World Cup Qualifier 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 qualification. Malta won four friendly games in 1991 and 1992.

Malta's third competitive win was a 1–0 victory away to Estonia in a 1993 World Cup qualifier. Kris Laferla scored the goal. In October 1994, Malta held Czech Republic to a 0–0 draw in a qualifier for UEFA Euro 1996. Six years later, in October 2000, Malta drew 0–0 with Czech Republic again in a 2002 World Cup qualifier. This draw cost Czech Republic a spot in the tournament.

In June 2000, Malta played England. Malta was losing 2–1 when they got a penalty in the final minutes. However, 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. Another good result was a 1–1 home draw in a friendly against Northern Ireland. On October 11, 2006, Malta won a competitive match 2–1 against Hungary 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 qualifier. On March 26, 2008, Malta had its biggest win ever. They beat Liechtenstein 7–1 in a friendly at the Ta' Qali Stadium. Michael Mifsud scored five goals in that game. 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 kits. In 2009, Malta drew 0–0 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 diving header.

In February 2011, Malta drew 0–0 against Switzerland. Goalkeeper Justin Haber saved two penalties in that match. On September 6, 2011, Malta earned their first point in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying with a 1–1 draw against Georgia. For the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, 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 recorded their seventh competitive win on October 13, 2020. They beat Latvia 1–0 in Riga, scoring the winning goal in the 97th minute. This was their first win in the UEFA Nations League.

Team Kits

The Malta national team has had different kit providers over the years. Here's a look at some of them:

Kit provider	Period
Adidas	1978–1988
Umbro	1988–1990
Lotto	1990–1999
Kronos	1999–2001
Erreà	2001–2005
Diadora	2005–2009
Givova	2009–2022
Erreà	2022–

Recent Matches

Here are the results from Malta's matches in the last year, and some upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Moldova  v  Malta

7 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League D2	Moldova	2–0	Malta	Chișinău, Moldova
19:00 UTC+3	Caimacov  32' Nicolaescu  45+4' (pen.)			Stadium: Zimbru Stadium Attendance: 6,142 Referee: Mykola Balakin (Ukraine)

Andorra  v  Malta

10 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League D2	Andorra	0–1	Malta	Andorra la Vella, Andorra
20:45 UTC+2			Camenzuli  45'	Stadium: Estadi Nacional Attendance: 812 Referee: Mohammed Al-Hakim (Sweden)

Malta  v  Turkmenistan

10 October Friendly	Malta	Cancelled	Turkmenistan	Ta' Qali, Malta
19:00 UTC+2				Stadium: National Stadium

Malta  v  Moldova

13 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League D2	Malta	1–0	Moldova	Ta' Qali, Malta
18:00 UTC+2	Teuma  87' (pen.)			Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 5,754 Referee: John Brooks (England)

Malta  v  Liechtenstein

14 November Friendly	Malta	2–0	Liechtenstein	Ta' Qali, Malta
100 UTC+1	Degabriele  51' Büchel  54' (o.g.)			Stadium: National Stadium Referee: Gustavo Correia (Portugal)

Malta  v  Andorra

19 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League D2	Malta	0–0	Andorra	Ta' Qali, Malta
20:45 UTC+1				Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 3,142 Referee: Sean McStay (Burren GAA (father of Oisin Mcstay))

Upcoming 2025 Matches

Malta  v  Finland

21 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Malta	0–1	Finland	Ta' Qali, Malta
20:45 UTC+2			Antman  38'	Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 5,106 Referee: Simone Sozza (Italy)

Poland  v  Malta

24 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Poland	2–0	Malta	Warsaw, Poland
20:45 UTC+2	Świderski  27', 51'			Stadium: Stadion Narodowy Attendance: 45,872 Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark)

Malta  v  Lithuania

7 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Malta	0–0	Lithuania	Ta' Qali, Malta
18:00 UTC+2				Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 2,785 Referee: Marian Barbu (Romania)

Netherlands  v  Malta

10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Netherlands	8–0	Malta	Groningen, Netherlands
20:45 UTC+2	Depay  9' (pen.), 16' Van Dijk  20' Simons  61' Malen  74', 80' Lang  78' Van de Ven  90+2'			Stadium: Euroborg Attendance: 21,006 Referee: Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea (Spain)

Lithuania  v  Malta

4 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Lithuania	v	Malta	Kaunas, Lithuania
21:45 UTC+3				Stadium: Darius and Girėnas Stadium

Malta  v  Netherlands

9 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Malta	v	Netherlands	Ta' Qali, Malta
20:45 UTC+2				Stadium: National Stadium

Malta  v  Bosnia and Herzegovina

12 October Friendly	Malta	v	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Ta' Qali, Malta
19:00 UTC+2				Stadium: National Stadium

Finland  v  Malta

14 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Finland	v	Malta	Helsinki, Finland
19:00 UTC+2				Stadium: Helsinki Olympic Stadium

Malta  v  Poland

17 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Malta	v	Poland	Ta' Qali, Malta
20:45 UTC+1				Stadium: National Stadium

Upcoming 2026 Matches

Malta  v  Luxembourg

26 March 2024-25 Nations League Playoff C/D	Malta	v	Luxembourg	Ta' Qali, Malta
18:00 UTC+1				Stadium: National Stadium

Luxembourg  v  Malta

31 March 2024-25 Nations League Playoff C/D	Luxembourg	v	Malta	Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
19:00 UTC+3				Stadium: Stade de Luxembourg

Coaching Staff

Here are the people who help coach and manage the Malta national football team:

Head coach	Emilio De Leo
Assistant coach
Goalkeeping coach	Mario Capece
Technical coordinator	Ivan Woods
Fitness coaches	Luca Pagani
	Francesco Zanasi
Match analyst	Facundo Styk
Team manager	Keith Fenech

Player Records

These are some of the top players for Malta, based on how many games they've played and how many goals they've scored.

Players in bold are still active with Malta.

Most Games Played

Michael Mifsud is Malta's most capped player and all-time top scorer.

Top Goal Scorers

Team Performance in Major Tournaments

Malta has taken part in qualifying rounds for the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship many times. They have also played in the UEFA Nations League.

FIFA World Cup

Malta has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup since 1974. They have not yet made it to the final tournament.

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									4	0	1	3	0	11
2030										To be determined
2034
Total		0/16								116	3	13	100	42	341

UEFA European Championship

Malta has also tried to qualify for the UEFA European Championship many times. They have not yet reached the final 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
Total		0/16								120	4	14	102	54	335

UEFA Nations League

Malta competes in the UEFA Nations League, a competition for European national teams.

UEFA Nations League record
Season	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	Group stage	2nd	4	2	1	1	2	2	TBD	TBD
Total			Group stage	TBD	20	6	7	7	20	26	TBD

FIFA Rankings

This chart shows how Malta's FIFA ranking has changed over the years. A lower number means a higher rank.

Honours

Friendly Tournaments

• Malta International Football Tournament
  • Champions (2): 1992, 2002

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Malta para niños

• Malta International Football Tournament