Malta hasn’t enjoyed any big international success when it comes to football. The small island hasn’t qualified for any major tournament, and barring a few individual upsets against favourites, there aren’t any historical football milestones. However, that is not to say that the nation doesn’t have football icons, and more importantly, that it doesn’t recognise them. Let’s take a look at Malta’s Football Hall of Fame and the names that are present there.
Two Separate “Hall of Fame” in Malta
Before seeing the Maltese football legends, you need to understand that the country actually has two sporting “Halls of Fame”. Each is managed by a different entity, so here is a bit more detail on them, alongside the exceptional footballers who have obtained the Hall of Fame awards.
Malta Football Association Hall of Fame
The Malta Football Association launched its Hall of Fame awards in 2019. The annual Malta FA Awards got a new category, which aimed to preserve the legacy of Maltese football and recognise the legends, past and present.
In its inaugural ceremony, Gilbert Agius, Eddie Vella, and Victor Scerri got the awards as the very first recognised local Maltese football legends.
Malta FA Hall of Fame Inductees and Who Bookies Consider The Next in Line
Between 2019 and 2023, the Malta FA paused its ceremony. Once it continued, the names that were inducted into the hall of fame included:
- Tessie Agius: Claimed the Female Footballer of the Year three times before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.
- Andrew Cohen: Won the Malta Footballer of the Year four times over his career, which resulted in a Hall of Fame induction in 2023.
- Joe Cini: Member of the first-ever Malta international team in 1957, he got a Hall of Fame status in 2024.
- Antonio Briguglio: Became the first-ever referee inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2025.
- Alfred Mizzi: The most recent footballer to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2026. He was one of the best Maltese goalkeepers in history, spending 20 years in Hibernians FC.
Since the Hall of Fame inductions are directly tied to the Malta FA Awards Night, new players may be added to this list every year. If you are interested, you can track how Maltese players and teams perform throughout the season and place a couple of wagers with operators from this bookies list.
The Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC) Hall of Fame
On the other hand, we have the Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC), which is an entity that stretches back to 1928. It wasn’t until 2003 that the MOC established its Hall of Fame, which was introduced to celebrate Malta’s greatest sporting champions. By 2006, it counted 23 legends, and nowadays, there are over 70 Hall of Fame award recipients in Malta.
Here, it is not just footballers who get the award, as the MOC recognises tennis players, archery legends, and aquatic sports, among others.
The MOC hands out these awards to people who have made an exceptional lifetime contribution towards sport in Malta. They must also have embodied the recorded Olympic values, such as excellence, respect, friendship, and sportsmanship.
MOC Hall of Fame Inductees
In 2003, the very first Hall of Fame inauguration for a footballer occurred, and to this day, there are several such inductions by the MOC. Here are the most notable footballers who have marked Malta’s sporting history:
- Joe Griffiths: He was the captain of Melita FC, and he managed to guide his team to a FA final win against Silema Wanderers in 1939. Later on, he was the founder of the Coaching School in Malta and the Association of Maltese Football Coaches.
- Tony Nicholl: Scored 263 goals in 302 games in a career that spanned 25 years in Maltese football. He managed to win 30 trophies while playing in Malta’s top football division.
- Salvinu Schembri: Inducted in the Hall of Fame by the MOC in 2004, Schembri is widely considered arguably the best Maltese footballer of all time.
- Ruggieru Friggieri: Made his debut with Floriana aged just 16 in the 1902/03 season. He managed to win three consecutive Championships and two Cup trophies.
- Lolly Borg: Made his mark with Floriana Ajax and Floriana FC, where he led his team to League, FA, and Cassar Cup victories between 1948 and 1949.
- Joe Cilia: Born in 1937, Cilia was the youngest player to play in Malta’s first international game against Austria.
- Carmel Busuttil: One of Malta’s most famous modern footballers. He was the first player in the nation’s history to achieve 100 international caps. He was chosen by the MFA as the country’s most outstanding player of the late 20th century. Busuttil was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.
As you can see from both lists, Malta’s football history is very rich. Regardless of the lack of an international success, the Maltese are a very proud nation, and they don’t shy away from rewarding exceptional footballers, both from the past and present.