Although Malta is one of the smallest nations, an island in the middle of the Mediterranean, its football history goes all the way back to the 1900s. The inception of MFA was in 1900, which is four years before FIFA began. It is one of the oldest amongst the other 204 national football associations across the globe.
The British Services introduced football to the island when they were stationed there. The first ever local match was held in 1882 at Marsa, and this game of Association Football was between the soldiers of the Garrison and the Royal Engineers. More games were played, and with every game, the popularity of the sport increased in Malta. Soon, Maltese teams were made, and they conducted matches against each other or with the British Services. Two of the oldest football clubs of Malta are: Floriana FC and St. George’s FC.
In the present day, football is the most popular sport in Malta, and there are 53 men’s football clubs registered with the Malta Football Association. The nation utilizes most of its assets and is in the process of developing a rapidly growing football association with Maltese Football Clubs having professional players who play on national and international levels. These football clubs have a growing following of bettors, and most of these bettors place bets on their favourite teams or matches through online casinos. Moreover, with a mobile casino, bettors can place bets from anywhere across the world, growing the club’s audience world-wide.
Ta’Qali with a capacity to hold 17000 fans is a proof of growth. But a few kilometers away from the capital, Valletta, is the Empire Stadium, which used to be the original stadium until 1981. Although this historical stadium is currently in ruins, it used to be the venue during pre and post Second World War periods where popular European teams would convene to compete in Christmas tournaments.
On 31st March 1979, British Services completely departed from the island, and all the grounds that were previously occupied by the Services for football purposes were transformed into sports complexes where Maltese Football culture could be developed. The locations of some of these grounds are at: Marsa, Luqa, Corradino, Verdala, St. Andrews, Pembroke, and Mtarfa.
The inauguration of Ta’ Qali was conducted in 1981, and it was a big deal for Maltese football. It was then that top Division League matches and other international matches began to be conducted in Malta. The Malta Football Association, in 1983, was able to come into an agreement with the Government that allowed them control of the National Stadium. Since then, the Association has been putting efforts to modify, maintain, and improve it so that Maltese football athletes have the facilities of the highest-qualities to practice and master their skills. Currently, the Malta FA holds a long lease on the Stadium and the other land adjacent to it.
The Malta FA has put tremendous efforts in developing the stadium to international standards. The proof of the Association’s attempts are all the modern, top-notch amenities, such as floodlights, electronic scoreboard, a public address system, a gymnasium, a media center, a Technical Center, and more. Additionally, the Centenary Stadium which is adjacent to the National Stadium has an artificial playing surface and the Training Grounds that are made of natural turf. These training grounds are used by National ‘A’ teams, other representative teams, and the foreign teams that visit.
Malta FA still continue to put their efforts in developing and improving the stadiums according to the changing demands of growing time. There is so much more to come, and the Association is determined to make the most use of Malta’s assets and provide its players and fans with the best experience ever.
Apart from these stadiums, the Tony Bezzina Stadium and the Victor Tedesco Stadium are the other major ones. The Tony Bezzina Stadium is the home ground of one of Malta’s prominent clubs, Hibernians F.C. It is also one of the venues for the Malta Premier and international matches, hosting matches from the UEFA Under-19 Championships in 2024. The Victor Tedesco Stadium, on the other hand, is the home ground of Hamrun Spartans F.C.. and hosts the Challenge League and Amateur League.
Whichever stadium you choose, the experience will be nothing shorter than the best. With world-class quality and premium amenities, the Malta F.A. is focused on offering their players and fans with only the best of football experiences, making sure that Malta’s football culture grows rapidly and remains competitive.