After starting 2025 with a whimper, Malta’s men’s national football team produced several impressive performances to climb the FIFA rankings.
Malta failed to score in any of their first four matches, culminating with a dismal 8-0 defeat against the Netherlands in a World Cup qualifier.
However, the team dug deep to record some strong results in the second half of the campaign, as evidenced by the following table.
| March 21 | Malta vs Finland | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup |
| March 24 | Poland vs Malta | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup |
| June 7 | Malta vs Lithuania | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup |
| June 10 | Netherlands vs Malta | 8-0 | FIFA World Cup |
| September 4 | Lithuania vs Malta | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup |
| September 9 | Malta vs San Marino | 3-1 | International Friendly |
| October 9 | Malta vs Netherlands | 0-4 | FIFA World Cup |
| October 12 | Malta vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 1-4 | International Friendly |
| November 14 | Finland vs Malta | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup |
| November 17 | Malta vs Poland | 2-3 | FIFA World Cup |
Read on as SportsView assesses Malta’s 2025 international campaign, starting with a troubled start to their World Cup qualifiers.
Malta’s World Cup dream ends early
Defeats against Finland and Poland in March put a sizeable dent in Malta’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
However, a 0-0 draw in Lithuania was a step in the right direction. Teenage striker Keyon Ewurum made his debut for Malta with a late substitute appearance in that game.
Ewurum recently joined Serie A club Torino on loan from Valletta, who are one of the top football teams supported in Malta.
He was an unused substitute in Malta’s fourth World Cup qualifier, which resulted in a heavy defeat against the Netherlands in Groningen.
Autumn fixtures produce mixed results
Malta were unfortunate not to put win on the board in their next outing, with Lithuania denying them victory courtesy of a penalty deep into stoppage time.
Alexander Satariano put Malta ahead in the 83rd minute, but Gvidas Gineitis converted his spot kick in the seventh minute of added time to seal a 1-1 draw.
Malta put that disappointment behind them with a 3-1 friendly victory over San Marino, before losing their next two World Cup qualifiers against the Netherlands and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
However, they battled hard in each of those fixtures, and reaped the rewards with two fine performances in their final two games of the year.
Malta climb the world rankings
Malta produced a memorable performance in their penultimate World Cup qualifier, securing a 1-0 victory on a freezing cold night in Finland.
Substitute Jake Grech perfect shot from the edge of the penalty area gave Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo no chance and handed Malta a stunning win.
The result was Malta’s fourth ever World Cup qualification victory after previous wins against Estonia (1993), Armenia (2013) and Cyprus (2021)
Malta were denied a point in their final World Cup qualifier as Piotr Zielinski’s late goal sealed a 3-2 victory for Poland at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium.