Malta begin their 2026/27 UEFA Nations League campaign on 24 September with an away match against Andorra. Games against Gibraltar and another meeting with Andorra follow during a short four-match League D programme.

The group gives Malta a realistic opportunity to compete for first place, but recent results show why no match can be treated as straightforward. Emilio De Leo’s side produced encouraging performances during the second half of 2025 after a difficult beginning to their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Photo courtesy of Malta FA

Supporters following Malta may move between match coverage, football statistics and entertainment platforms that include online roulette, yet the national team’s progress is better understood through a handful of simple figures. Malta played ten senior internationals in 2025, scoring eight goals and conceding 24. Those totals hide a clear improvement during the latter part of the year.

Malta won two of ten matches in 2025

Malta’s complete 2025 record contained two victories, two draws and six defeats. The team scored eight goals, kept two clean sheets and failed to score in five matches.

Results were heavily affected by two difficult games against the Netherlands. Malta lost 8-0 in Groningen during June and 4-0 at Ta’ Qali in October. Those matches accounted for half of the 24 goals conceded across the year.

Removing the two Dutch fixtures gives Malta a record of eight goals conceded in eight games. That does not mean the Netherlands results should be ignored, but it shows that the defensive record against comparable opponents was far stronger than the overall total suggests.

The two victories came against San Marino and Finland. Malta defeated San Marino 3-1 in a friendly during September before recording a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win away to Finland in November.

Draws against Lithuania produced two points in the qualifying group. The home match finished 0-0, while Malta led the return fixture until Gvidas Gineitis converted a penalty in the seventh minute of added time.

The World Cup campaign ended with four points

Malta collected four points across eight World Cup qualifiers. The final record was one win, two draws and five defeats, with four goals scored and 19 conceded.

The team began with consecutive losses against Finland and Poland. Malta then drew 0-0 against Lithuania before the 8-0 defeat in the Netherlands.

The second half of the campaign was more competitive. Malta drew 1-1 away to Lithuania, lost 4-0 against the Netherlands, defeated Finland 1-0 and finished with a narrow 3-2 loss against Poland.

Three of Malta’s four qualifying goals arrived in the final two matches. That late improvement matters because it came against the two teams that finished behind the Netherlands at the top of Group G.

The victory in Helsinki was particularly significant. Jake Grech scored the only goal after coming off the bench, giving Malta just their fourth win in World Cup qualification history. The previous three were recorded against Estonia in 1993, Armenia in 2013 and Cyprus in 2021.

A fourth victory across several decades shows how difficult World Cup qualification has been for Malta. It also explains why an away win against Finland carried more weight than an ordinary three-point result.

Malta became harder to beat as the year progressed

Malta failed to score in each of their first four internationals of 2025. The sequence included the losses against Finland, Poland and the Netherlands, plus the goalless draw with Lithuania.

Their fifth match brought the first goal of the year. Alexander Satariano scored in the 83rd minute away to Lithuania, although the late penalty denied Malta a victory.

The team then scored in four of its final five matches. That run contained eight goals, including three against San Marino and two against Poland.

The shift suggests that Malta became more effective at turning possession and defensive work into chances. Earlier performances often depended on keeping the score low. By November, De Leo’s side demonstrated that it could threaten opponents while remaining organised without the ball.

The 3-2 defeat against Poland was a useful example. Malta did not earn a point, but scoring twice against a side heading into the World Cup play-offs indicated greater attacking confidence. Piotr Zieliński’s late winner was required to settle the match.

Consistency remains the problem. Malta’s eight goals were spread across only five matches, while the other five ended without a Maltese goal. League D opponents may defend deeper than Finland or Poland, leaving Malta with more possession but less space to attack.

Four matches leave little room for error

League D contains six teams divided into two groups of three. Malta share Group D1 with Andorra and Gibraltar, so each country plays only four matches.

Malta’s schedule begins away to Andorra on 24 September. Gibraltar visit Malta on 1 October, followed by the home match against Andorra on 4 October. The campaign concludes away to Gibraltar on 16 November.

A four-match format gives every result added importance. One defeat is equivalent to losing 25 percent of the entire group schedule. A slow start can therefore leave little time to recover.

Head-to-head matches are also central because there are no other opponents capable of taking points off a direct rival. If Malta defeat Andorra, the result gives Malta three points while preventing Andorra from collecting any.

The two home games during October provide Malta with a chance to build momentum quickly. Six points at Ta’ Qali would place the team in a strong position before the final trip to Gibraltar. Anything less would increase the pressure on the away fixtures.

Goal difference could become decisive if two teams finish level on points. Malta will need to balance the desire for larger victories with the need to avoid being caught on the counterattack.

The 2024 campaign provides a warning

Malta also faced Andorra during the previous Nations League campaign. A 1-0 away victory was followed by a goalless draw at Ta’ Qali.

The team collected seven points in total after also beating Moldova 1-0 and losing the reverse fixture 2-0. Malta finished second in the group behind Moldova and missed promotion.

That record demonstrated Malta’s ability to compete successfully at League D level. It also showed the cost of dropped points. The home draw against Andorra became more damaging because only four fixtures were available.

Malta scored twice and conceded twice across the entire campaign. Three clean sheets provided a strong base, but two goals were not enough to win the group.

Improving that attacking total will be one of De Leo’s main tasks in 2026. A team aiming for promotion cannot rely on every victory being secured by a single goal.

Andorra and Gibraltar present different challenges

Andorra regularly use a compact defensive structure and are comfortable playing matches with few chances. Malta may control possession but still struggle to find space near the penalty area.

The previous goalless draw between the sides showed how quickly a match can become congested. Malta will need patient passing, accurate crosses and movement around the box rather than hopeful long-range efforts.

Gibraltar can also defend in numbers, although their matches have sometimes become more open after the first goal. Malta’s priority will be avoiding the type of early mistake that allows an opponent to protect a lead.

Set pieces could play a large role throughout the group. When two teams have similar technical and physical levels, a corner or free-kick can decide a low-scoring contest. Delivery and second-ball positioning may be as important as open-play creativity.

Promotion requires better attacking numbers

Malta’s defensive organisation gives them a credible chance of winning Group D1. The team kept clean sheets against Lithuania and Finland in 2025, proving that it can protect its penalty area under pressure.

The more difficult task is scoring regularly against opponents who allow Malta to have the ball. Four goals across eight World Cup qualifiers was an improvement on the early part of the campaign, but League D promotion will probably require greater output.

The target does not need to be dramatic. Averaging around 1.5 goals per match would produce six goals across the group. Combined with the defensive record Malta achieved during the 2024 Nations League, that could be enough to challenge for first place.

The opening game in Andorra will provide an immediate measure of progress. Malta have already shown that they can defeat stronger opposition and compete closely with World Cup play-off teams. Turning that progress into promotion now depends on producing the same control and attacking threat across four matches against familiar League D rivals.