Malta will be facing Luxembourg in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League C/D Play-Off at the National Stadium on Thursday, kick-off at 18:00.
A play-off which could enable Malta to secure promotion to League C after three unsuccessful attempts. After finishing last in the group in 2018, Malta finished second in the group on the other three occasions.
In the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League, the 2018-19 edition, Malta played in League D3 along with Kosovo Azerbaijan and the Faroe Islands, finishing at the bottom of the group with three points thanks to draws with Azerbaijan at home and away and a draw with the Faroe Islands at Ta’ Qali.
Two years later, in the 2020-21 edition, Malta was drawn with the Faroe Islands, Latvia and Andorra in League D1. After losing by the odd goal in five in Torshavn, Malta drew 1-1 with Latvia at Ta’ Qali, 0-0 with Andorra away from home, won 1-0 against Latvia in Riga and 3-1 over Andorra at Ta’ Qali. Three points separated Malta from the Faroe Islands but in the decisive game at Ta’ Qali, Malta was held in a 1-1 draw.
In the 2022-23 edition, Malta placed second in League D2. The boys in red claimed maximum points from the games against San Marino but lost to Estonia both at home and away to finish second.
On the other hand, in League D2 in the 2024-25 edition, Malta lost 0-2 to Moldova in Chisinau in the opening game, then defeated Andorra 1-0 away from home, defeated Moldova 1-0 at Ta’ Qali and only managed to earn a point in a goalless draw with Andorra at home to finish second and thanks to the changes in the UEFA Nations League regulations, Malta entered the League C/D Play-Off.
Last year, Malta was engaged in the European Qualifiers leading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, avoiding the bottom place in the group thanks to two draws with Lithuania and an away win over Finland. The team led by Emilio de Leo performed well throughout the campaign with good performances in the narrow defeat to Finland at home and the matches against Poland.
Building on the momentum of this qualifying campaign, Malta aims to win promotion to League C by overcoming the challenge of Luxembourg who placed last in League C3 – a group which featured Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Belarus. A play-off which could finally see Malta win promotion for the first time.
Malta coach Emilio de Leo said “We’re certainly very proud. We sense there’s a lot of anticipation, a lot of expectations.”
“We should be happy to feel a certain sense of responsibility because we have this opportunity. We’re certainly proud to be able to play and to have the opportunity to advance to the next stage of the Nations League.”
“We’re only concerned with this aspect in terms of pressure and anxiety. What we tell the team every day is that we focus on our task, on the game strategy, and we continue to build on what we’ve been doing for a year. The approach for this match hasn’t changed at all, and it won’t. Our attitude won’t change. The quality of our group is that of growing, maturing, having self-esteem, believing in our own abilities …. as I said before the match against Finland ….regardless of the opponent we faced and the level of the match and the expectations that await us. I think this is the most important aspect.”
A play-off which will be played on two legs – first at Ta’ Qali on Friday and then at the Stade de Luxembourg on Tuesday.
“Regarding the double-header, it’s obvious that we also need to make some adjustments. … evaluations in that sense. However, honestly, before starting the first match, I think it’s not right, it’s not fair, to let it influence us. I’m not used to doing it, players shouldn’t be used to doing it. However, as we say every day, they must be aware that there are two matches, that the first match will last 95 minutes, that there will be pitfalls, there will be difficulties, there could be negative moments, there could be moments when the result isn’t on our side.”
Photos courtesy of Malta FA
“The matches can change due to a card, or due to bookings in the first leg compared to the second leg. There are certainly many variables and many aspects that can influence us, but we’ve been working on that since day one, in the sense that we have to be strong, steady, even from an emotional standpoint, because it’s clear that these matches are played on one hand, from a technical-tactical perspective, and on the other, also in terms of nervousness and psychological stability.”
“With regards to Luxembourg, we obviously respect the team. They certainly have a strong ranking and, in my opinion, have been working well for a few years. We respect them, but we’re going straight down our path. We know they definitely have experienced players, players with great technical ability, great physical ability as well, and they’re also gaining experience in major leagues in Europe.”
“We’re sure they’ll try to focus on transitions and counterattacks, but also on their quality, as they have players with great technique. So, as we tell ourselves every day, we need to match the physicality and competitive spirit we’ll bring to the game, and then we’ll see from a technical and qualitative standpoint. They’ll obviously play their cards, we need to be good at being compact, balanced, but on the other hand, as we always say, we need to be light, we need to have fun, we need to be aware of being a strong team, one that’s growing, one that has begun, in my opinion, an important journey over the past year, and has played every game with an open mind and so we continue on that path.”
“As I always say, I’ve always worked on the process. I believe we’re achieving many of the steps we’ve been asked for: improving our ranking, building a squad made up of technically strong players, talented players, players with moral values. We’re a team that plays, that expresses quality, that is engaging and igniting the fans’ passion. This is my goal. It’s clear that we have to play game by game, the goal is always victory. We must accept setbacks seriously, with humility, knowing, however, that our job is to give our best and never take a step back, even if there are negative episodes. It’s clear that in football, negative episodes often influence judgments, but I don’t let that influence me, nor the team either. You know, we’ve had many positive moments in my opinion. We’ve also had some particularly negative moments, but we’ve faced them head on, without making excuses, without talking about alibis, without talking about the strength of the opponent. So this is my job, and then others will judge the rest.”
When asked about the condition of the players, who are coming from a period where they had played every three days for weeks, De Leo did not seem particularly concerned “I haven’t even dwelt on this. A few months ago, we were talking about the fact that we were facing opponents in better shape than us because we’d played more games. Now we’re talking about us having played too much, and vice versa.”
“There’s always a truth somewhere in between, but we need to develop a mentality that allows us to reach our full potential without thinking about anything else. This is an opportunity. Opportunity means everything positive, everything we can achieve, everything we can experience, all the satisfaction we deserve to achieve.”
“This is what this match means to us. It doesn’t mean pressure, it doesn’t mean having a nation on our shoulders that weighs us down or weighs us down. We must be proud, full of positivity—us, the fans, the federation, everyone who will support us—because we have an opportunity we can seize, one that, among other things, we inherit from the past, from last season’s group stage. We must be able to take advantage of this with a positive approach, focused on our tasks, but we must not keep away anything that slows us down or weighs us down. I invite everyone to always follow this path.”
For some of the players, it will be the second time, Malta is so close to promotion. In the UEFA Nations League 2020, three points separated Malta and Faroe Islands before the direct clash between the two. The Faroe Islands had secured promotion after earning a point in a 1-1 draw at Ta’ Qali.
Matthew Guillaumier, who is one of those players, said “We lived that experience against the Faroe Islands. In that game, we had to win. We came out well, we went 1-0 up but then we conceded the goal. That experience teaches us … there are many players who are still in the squad but there are also new players from that time. I believe that we have also increased in quality, especially up front with players like Chouaref and Cardona along with Teuma who was already there. There is also a different coach.”
“As the coach said, we have to continue on what we have done. We cannot change everything completely because of this game. We need to continue on the path that we were on, especially on the two games in November. The coach always tells us that we have to believe in ourselves. It is very important that we believe that we can get a positive result. We know that we can. Obviously Luxembourg are better than us in the rankings but we know that we can win and get promotion.”
“Luxembourg is a good team. We played against them about two and a half or three years ago. They have players playing in very good leagues but we will never give up because of that. They have to go on the pitch and show that they are better than us if they want to go through. The game is played on the pitch not on paper. On paper, Luxembourg are favourites but we will do everything to win promotion.”
When asked whether he feels greater responsibility ahead of these games, the Hamrun Spartans midfielder said “I believe that in every game we have a responsibility. In every game, we represent our country. We know that it is an important game, perhaps more than the others, because we can achieve something that we have never done before. That is the responsibility, but it is a normal thing. I don’t think there is more responsibility. We have two games that we have to approach in the same way as we have done in every game and if we do that, I believe we have a good chance.”
Photos courtesy of Malta FA
For this match, coach Emilio De Leo could not count on the suspended Joseph Mbong. Goalkeeper James Sissons, James Carragher, Aleandro Garzia, Carlo Zammit Lonardelli and Shaisen Attard, who were initially part of the provisional squad were dropped as Sissons and Attard joined the Under-21 squad while Carragher was left out as he is not fully recovered from an injury which ruled him out for a number of weeks.
The squad includes foreign-based Zach Muscat of Chaves, Alex Satariano of Athens Kallithea, Teddy Teuma of Standard Liege, Ilyas Chouaref of Sion, Irvin Cardona of Saint Etienne, Trent Buhagiar of Tampine Rovers and Keyon Ewurum of Torino.
The players selected by De Leo are:
goalkeepers Henry Bonello (Ħamrun Spartans FC), Rashed Al Tumi (Sliema Wanderers FC), Matthias Debono (Naxxar Lions FC).
defenders Zach Muscat (Chaves FC – POR), Juan Carlos Corbalan (Marsaxlokk FC), Kurt Shaw (Hibernians FC), Enrico Pepe (Marsaxlokk FC), Jean Borg (Sliema Wanderers FC), Gabriel Mentz (Gżira United FC), Ryan Camenzuli (Ħamrun Spartans FC), Myles Beerman (Floriana FC),
midfielders Matthew Guillaumier (Ħamrun Spartans FC), Brandon Diego Paiber (Valletta FC), Alexander Satariano (Athens Kallithea FC – GRE), Yannick Yankam (Valletta FC), Jake Azzopardi (Valletta FC), Teddy Teuma (Standard de Liege – BEL), Adam Magri Overend (Sliema W. FC), Jake Grech (Floriana FC).
forwards Paul Mbong (Floriana FC), Ilyas Chouaref (Sion FC – SUI), Irvin Cardona (AS Saint-Étienne – FRA), Trent Buhagiar (Tampines Rovers – SGP), Keyon Ewurum (Torino FC – ITA), Andrea Zammit (Valletta FC).
Luxembourg’s squad has no player based in the domestic league in Luxembourg. All players selected by coach Strasser play around Europe except for goalkeeper Anthony Moris who plays in Saudi Arabia with eight players based in Germany, three in the Netherlands, two each in Austria and Portugal and one each in France, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Albania, Lithuania and Poland.
Strasser had initially named PSG youngster Fabio Domingos in the squad but the eighteen year old opted to turn out for Cape Verde after playing for Luxembourg at youth level. A similar story to Australian-born Dylan Scicluna who has opted to switch to Australia after playing for the Malta Under-19 and Under-21 sides.
Luxembourg played ten matches in 2025, beating Sweden 1-0 in a friendly match at home and holding Ireland in a goalless draw in another friendly match at home but lost two friendly matches against Switzerland and Slovenia, failing to win any points from the World Cup qualifiers in a group which included Germany, Slovakia and Northern Ireland. In fact, they lost eight out of the last nine matches.
In the UEFA Nations League 2018-19, Luxembourg took part in League D2, earning 10 points from six matches to secure promotion. They placed second in League C2 in the 2020-21 edition with ten points from six matches in a group which included Montenegro, Azerbaijan and Cyprus and second in League C1 in the 2022-23 edition in a group which included Türkiye, Faroe Islands and Lithuania.
The players selected by Jeff Strasser are:
goalkeepers Lucas Fox (1. FC Bocholt – GER), Anthony Moris (Al-Khaleej – SAU), Tiago Pereira (Borussia Mönchengladbach – GER)
defenders Florian Bohnert (SC Bastia – FRA), Dirk Carlson (SKN St. Pölten – AUT), Eldin Dzogovic (1. FC Magdeburg – GER), Laurent Jans (SK Beveren – BEL), Seid Korac (Venezia – ITA), Enes Mahmutovic (NAC Breda – NED), Mica Pinto (FC Dordrecht – NED), Eric Veiga (Flamurtari FC – ALB)
midfielders Leandro Barreiro (SL Benfica, Portugal), Tomas Cruz (SL Benfica – POR), Enzo De Pina Duarte (Borussia Dortmund – GER), Christopher Martins (Spartak Moscow – RUS), Mathias Olesen (Grazer AK – AUT), Sébastien Thill (Stal Rzeszow – POL)
forwards Yvandro Borges Sanches (Heracles Almelo – NED), Aiman Dardari (SpVgg Greuther Fürth – GER), Edvin Muratovic (FK Panevezys – LIT), Danel Sinani (FC St. Pauli – GER), Vincent Thill (SV Waldhof Mannheim – GER), Jayson Videira (1. FSV Mainz 05 – GER).
Malta and Luxembourg met only twice in competitive matches with Luxembourg defeating Malta 1-0 in February 1995 at Ta’ Qali and 1-0 at home in September 1995 in the EURO 96 qualifiers.
There were five other friendly matches between the two teams with the first one in January 1970 ending in a 1-1 draw at The Stadium in Gzira, a 1-1 draw in Luxembourg in August 2003, a 2-0 win away from home for Malta in June 2012, a 1-0 win for Luxembourg at Ta’ Qali in March 2018 and a 1-0 win for Malta in Luxembourg in June 2023.
Malta vs Luxembourg will be controlled by officials from Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely referee Irfan Peljto who will be assisted by Senad Ibrišimbegović and Davor Beljo and fourth official Miloš Gigovic. The Video Assistant Referee is Matej Jug from Slovenia and the Assistant Video Assistant Referee Mario Zebec from Croatia.