Malta has a long history when it comes to football; having played its first international game in 1957, the Malta national football team has established itself as a regular when it comes to international fixtures. The Malta Football Association, the regulatory authority of Maltese football, was established in 1900.
The country became a member of FIFA in 1959 and UEFA in 1960. Although the country has been a part of several Euro and World Cup qualifiers over decades, it has failed to qualify for both of the major tournaments. Nevertheless, the small island is still ahead of many huge nations when it comes to football and has been a part of some iconic fixtures over the years. If you are looking to place a bet on the next game that Malta plays, we recommend checking out Bet Station, which provides a list of the best betting sites that offer a unique betting experience.
Below, we take a look at some of the most memorable games in the history of Malta Football.
- Malta 2-3 Austria – February 24, 1957
The 2-3 loss to Austria was the first game ever in which the Malta national football team stepped on the football field. Even though they lost the game, the game was nothing short of a thriller for the Malta fans. Having gone down by three goals to nil during the second half, the Maltese team attempted a comeback that brought the game back to life. Tony Cauchi scored the first-ever goal for the Malta football team with only three minutes to go, which was followed by an 89th-minute goal by Sammy Nicholl that seemed to turn the game around. The Austrians won the game eventually, but it marked the beginning of international football in Malta; many fans left the game rejoicing the heroics of their team.
- Malta 3-0 Denmark XI – January 25, 1958
This was the second game played by the Malta national football team and marked their first victory on the global stage. The game saw Malta scoring early in the first half, with Pullu Demanuele getting his first goal of the game in the 11th minute. The second goal came from Salvinu Schembri in the 23rd minute. Pullu Demanuele scored again in the 49th minute to complete his brace and lead Malta to an easy 3-0 victory over the Denmark XI.
- Malta 1-1 Greece – October 11, 1970
The 1-1 draw with Greece marked the first time the Maltese national team picked up points in a competitive game. It was a European Championship qualifying game in which Malta was able to hold Greece off to a draw and snatch a point for the first time in their history. Although the team picked up a lead in the 66th minute with Willie Vassallo scoring the first goal of the game, they couldn’t see the game through and ended up conceding in the 80th minute.
- Malta 2-0 Greece – February 23, 1975
Malta won its first-ever competitive game against Greece in 1975. It was a European Championship qualifier; Malta won the game easily, with Richard Aquilina scoring at the half-hour mark. The lead was consolidated by Vincent Magro in the 79th minute when he netted the second goal of the game to grab the three points for the side.
- Malta 1-0 Latvia – October 13, 2020
This was the first away win for Malta in the UEFA Nations League – the first win in a competitive match away from home since the narrow win over Armenia in 2013. Malta won the game in style, with Steve Borg heading the ball into the net in the 97th minute of the game to grab all three points for his country.