When one thinks about the world’s best football teams, Malta rarely — if ever — makes the list. In fact, the international achievements of the Maltese National Team leave something to be desired. The team has never qualified for a World Cup or European Championship, for example, and it ranks 172nd out of a total of 210 teams on the FIFA Men’s World ranking.
However, and despite overall poor results, European teams often have surprising fans watching their every move. Portuguese sports bettors, for example, are fanatic for everything football — and, yes, that includes the Maltese National Team.
Maltese Football Achievements
On the international stage, Malta has never really set itself apart. Besides failing to qualify for the biggest international competitions, the team also has a significantly disappointing track record in friendly matches. Their best international performance was in the UEFA Nation League, in which they managed to score the 2nd position on League D group stage in 2020-21 and 2022-23.
In recent years, thanks to UEFA’s HatTrick funding program, the country has managed to improve the industry’s conditions for teams and players alike.
The Growth of Online Casinos in Portugal
But how does Portugal factor into play when it comes to Maltese football? With one of the best football teams in the world (the team is currently in the 8th position in FIFA’s World Ranking), one would think Portuguese fans would not care about a team as small as Malta’s.
However, the Portuguese are big into sports bets. In 2021 alone, the Portuguese spent a daily average of 31 million euros on gambling bets. And, year after year, the number of registered users in online betting platforms has been increasing.
For that reason, Portuguese bettors are constantly looking for matches to bet on — and, of course, Maltese football matches are no exception.
Impact of Maltese Football on Gambling Culture
Gabriel Mendes, a CasinoRIX author, explains how Maltese football impacts Portuguese gambling culture succinctly:
“Os apostadores portugueses adoram o jogo online. Desde apostas desportivas a jogos de casino normais, não há jogo de azar de que o jogador português não seja fã. Como tal, os portugueses estão sempre à procura de novos jogos para jogar e novas partidas em que apostar, especialmente em casinos que pagam rápido, como os que se encontram em https://casinorix.com/pt/casinos/de-pagamento-rapido/.”
[“Portuguese gamblers love online gambling. From sports betting to regular casino games, there isn’t a game of chance that the Portuguese gambler isn’t a fan of. As such, the Portuguese are always on the lookout for new games to play and new matches to bet on, especially in casinos that pay out fast, like those found at https://casinorix.com/pt/casinos/de-pagamento-rapido/.”]
Synergy Between Maltese Football and Portuguese Markets
While Maltese football does not directly overlap the Portuguese market, Portuguese bettors appreciate many of the similarities between the sport in the two countries. Just like in Portugal, where most football teams are sponsored by sportsbooks and online casinos, Malta also features a strong presence of these platforms on jerseys, stadiums, and more.
And even though the sportsbook operators are not the same, most Portuguese sportsbooks give Portuguese players the ability to bet on most Maltese football matches.
Conclusion
While Maltese football is far from showcasing the best the sport has to offer, there is a clear investment from both UEFA and the Maltese organizations with the aim of reinventing the sport in the country. However, and despite the overhaul that the industry is currently undertaking, there are still fans who appreciate Maltese football all around the world.
Sports bettors are always looking for new ways to enjoy their bets, and many of them turn to Maltese football, which can often be unpredictable and great for underdog bets (the team has even won a match against Belgium). The popularity of online sports bets in Portugal makes Portuguese bettors a natural fan of Maltese football—even if they can find better exhibitions at home.