Michael Mifsud facts for kids
.png)
Mifsud with Melbourne Heart in 2013
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Mifsud | ||
| Date of birth | 17 April 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Pietà, Malta | ||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sliema Wanderers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2001 | Sliema Wanderers | 80 | (60) |
| 2001–2004 | Kaiserslautern | 21 | (2) |
| 2001–2004 | → Kaiserslautern II | 47 | (27) |
| 2004 | Sliema Wanderers | 12 | (8) |
| 2004–2007 | Lillestrøm | 48 | (17) |
| 2007–2009 | Coventry City | 86 | (16) |
| 2009 | → Barnsley (loan) | 15 | (2) |
| 2010 | Valletta | 7 | (7) |
| 2011 | Qormi | 5 | (7) |
| 2011–2013 | Valletta | 49 | (28) |
| 2013–2014 | Melbourne Heart | 14 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | Sliema Wanderers | 32 | (5) |
| 2016–2018 | Valletta | 55 | (11) |
| 2018–2020 | Birkirkara | 36 | (7) |
| 2020–2021 | Sirens | 9 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Mosta | 24 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2020 | Malta | 143 | (42) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Michael Mifsud (born 17 April 1981) is a famous Maltese football player. He played as a striker, which means his main job was to score goals. Michael is known for scoring 42 goals in 143 games for the Malta national team between 2000 and 2020. He even became the captain of the team! People in Malta recognized his talent, and he was voted Maltese Sportsperson of the Year in both 2001 and 2003. He played for several teams in different countries, including Kaiserslautern in Germany, Lillestrøm in Norway, and Coventry City in England. He also played for many teams in Malta's top league.
Contents
- Michael Mifsud's Football Journey
- Playing for Malta's National Team
- International Goals for Malta
- Trophies and Awards
- See also
Michael Mifsud's Football Journey
Starting with Sliema Wanderers
Michael Mifsud began his football journey at Sliema Wanderers, a club in Malta. He was part of their youth team and made his first professional appearance in the 1997–98 season. In his very first season, he played six games and scored one goal. This helped his team finish third in the Maltese Premier League.
The next season, 1998–99, was a big one for Michael. He became a regular player for the first team. He played 23 games and scored eight goals, showing everyone he was a rising star in Maltese football.
In July 1999, Michael even had a trial with the famous English club Manchester United. Although he didn't join them, it didn't stop him from scoring goals. In the 1999–2000 season, he scored 21 goals in 28 games for Sliema Wanderers. His last season with the club was 2000–01, where he helped them finish second in the league by scoring 20 goals in 25 games.
Playing in Germany with Kaiserslautern
Michael's amazing goal-scoring form caught the eye of 1. FC Kaiserslautern, a club in Germany's top league, the Bundesliga. He joined them in the summer of 2001. He often scored for their B team, which played in the third German league. He also played a few games for the main team in the Bundesliga, scoring two goals.
Back to Sliema Wanderers
After his time in Germany, Michael wanted to play more regularly. So, in early 2004, he returned to Sliema Wanderers. He played 12 games and scored eight goals, helping his team win the Maltese Premier League title that season.
Time in Norway with Lillestrøm
In the summer of 2005, Michael moved to Norway to play for Lillestrøm in their top league. He quickly became a fan favorite and was even voted the best foreign player in the league at one point. In 2006, he was the club's top scorer with 11 goals in 19 games. Michael decided not to renew his contract with Lillestrøm because he wanted to play in one of Europe's biggest leagues.
Adventures with Coventry City
On 10 January 2007, Michael signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Coventry City in England's Football League Championship. He made his first appearance just three days later.
Michael scored his first goal for Coventry City on 22 January 2007. He continued to score important goals, including one that won him the "Goal of the Season" award for Coventry City.
One of his most famous moments happened on 26 September 2007. Michael scored two goals against Premier League champions Manchester United in the League Cup. Coventry City won 2-0, which was a huge surprise! After this amazing game, an Italian sports newspaper called him Il Messi di Malta (The Messi of Malta).
He kept scoring goals and helping his team. In January 2008, he scored two goals in the FA Cup against another Premier League team, Blackburn Rovers. Fans even voted him the best player of that FA Cup round. Michael was a very important player for Coventry City during this time. His contract with Coventry City ended on 30 June 2009, and he left the club.
Loan to Barnsley
On 2 February 2009, Michael joined Barnsley on loan until the end of the season. He scored his first goal for Barnsley on 10 March 2009 in a 1-1 draw. He scored another goal on 18 March 2009, helping Barnsley win 3-1.
Returning to Malta
First time with Valletta
.jpg)
After leaving Coventry City, Michael was a free agent (meaning he didn't have a club). He eventually joined Valletta, a Maltese club, in early 2010. He made a great start, scoring in his first game. He then scored three goals in two different games, showing his goal-scoring power. He finished the season with 13 goals in just 12 games for Valletta.
Short spell at Qormi
In January 2011, Michael signed with Qormi. He had an incredible debut, scoring three goals and being named "man of the match" in a 4-1 win.
Second time with Valletta
On 5 July 2011, Michael signed a four-year contract to return to Valletta. He helped them win the Maltese Premier League in the 2011–2012 season, scoring 12 goals. He even scored four goals in a Champions League qualifying game in July 2012! Michael left Valletta in June 2013 to try playing abroad again.
Playing in Australia with Melbourne Heart
On 18 September 2013, Michael signed a one-year deal with Melbourne Heart, a club in Australia's A-League. He scored his first goal for them in December 2013. He left the club in March 2014 to return to Malta with his family.
Later Career in Malta
Michael continued his career in Malta. He joined Sliema Wanderers for a third time in June 2014. In January 2016, he returned to Valletta for his third spell with the club. During this time, he won another Maltese Premier League title and the Maltese FA Trophy. After two years, he moved to Birkirkara in 2018. In August 2020, he signed with Sirens, and then with Mosta in January 2021.
Playing for Malta's National Team
Michael Mifsud is considered one of the best football players Malta has ever had. He made his first appearance for the Malta national team on 10 February 2000.
He played a key role in Malta's victory against Hungary in 2007, which was Malta's first competitive home win since 1982! On 27 March 2008, Michael scored an amazing five goals for Malta in a friendly game against Liechtenstein, with three of those goals coming in just 21 minutes!
On 3 March 2010, he broke the record for most goals scored for the national team. He also scored the winning goal in Malta's first away win in a World Cup qualifier in many years, against Armenia, on 7 June 2013.
On 11 October 2013, Michael played his 100th game for Malta. He scored Malta's only goal in that match against the Czech Republic. His last game and last goal for Malta came on 11 November 2020, in a friendly win against Liechtenstein.
International Goals for Malta
Michael Mifsud scored many goals for his country. Here is a list of his international goals:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 April 2001 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Iceland |
1–0 | 1–4 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 2 | 14 November 2001 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Canada |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 9 February 2002 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Jordan |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2002 Malta Tournament |
| 4 | 13 February 2002 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Moldova |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2002 Malta Tournament |
| 5 | 17 April 2002 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Azerbaijan |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 20 November 2002 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Cyprus |
1–2 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 7 | 30 April 2003 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Slovenia |
1–3 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 8 | 10 September 2003 | Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Israel |
1–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 9 | 31 March 2004 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Finland |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 18 August 2004 | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands |  Faroe Islands |
2–2 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 11 | 13 October 2004 | Vasil Levski Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria |  Bulgaria |
1–0 | 1–4 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 12 | 2 September 2006 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
2–5 | 2–5 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 13 | 17 October 2007 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Moldova |
2–3 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 14 | 21 November 2007 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Norway |
1–3 | 1–4 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 15 | 26 March 2008 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Liechtenstein |
1–0 | 7–1 | Friendly |
| 16 | 2–0 | |||||
| 17 | 3–0 | |||||
| 18 | 5–1 | |||||
| 19 | 6–1 | |||||
| 20 | 30 May 2008 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria |  Austria |
1–2 | 1–5 | Friendly |
| 21 | 12 August 2009 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Georgia |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 22 | 2–0 | |||||
| 23 | 18 November 2009 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Bulgaria |
1–1 | 1–4 | Friendly |
| 24 | 3 March 2010 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Finland |
1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 25 | 11 August 2010 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Macedonia |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 26 | 4 June 2011 | Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece |  Greece |
1–2 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 27 | 10 August 2011 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Central African Republic |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 28 | 2–1 | |||||
| 29 | 2 September 2011 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Croatia |
1–2 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 30 | 6 September 2011 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Georgia |
1–1 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 31 | 29 February 2012 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Liechtenstein |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 32 | 2–1 | |||||
| 33 | 2 June 2012 | Stade Josy Barthel, Route d'Arlon, Luxembourg |  Luxembourg |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 34 | 2–0 | |||||
| 35 | 14 August 2012 | Stadio Olimpico, Sarravalle, San Marino |  San Marino |
1–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 36 | 3–1 | |||||
| 37 | 7 June 2013 | Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia |  Armenia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 38 | 11 October 2013 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta |  Czech Republic |
1–2 | 1–4 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 39 | 19 November 2013 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Faroe Islands |
2–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 40 | 6 September 2015 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Azerbaijan |
1–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 41 | 7 September 2018 | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands | Faroe Islands |
1–2 | 1–3 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League D |
| 42 | 11 November 2020 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | Liechtenstein |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
Trophies and Awards
Michael Mifsud won several titles during his career, mostly with Valletta:
Valletta
- Maltese Premier League: 2011–12, 2015–16, 2017–18
- Maltese FA Trophy: 2009–10
- Maltese Super Cup: 2011, 2012
See also
In Spanish: Michael Mifsud para niños
