Malta women's national football team
 | |||
| Association | Malta Football Association | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Manuela Tesse | ||
| Captain | Emma Lipman | ||
| Most caps | Dorianne Theuma (118) | ||
| Top scorer | Dorianne Theuma (26) | ||
| Home stadium | Centenary Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | MLT | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 89  2 (7 August 2025)[1] | ||
| Highest | 74 (August 2003) | ||
| Lowest | 115 (October 2007) | ||
| First international | |||
 Romania 3–0  (Bucharest, Romania; 10 August 2003) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
6–0 Luxembourg  (Ta' Qali, Malta; 6 April 2013) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
0–13 Spain  (Ta' Qali, Malta; 9 September 2009) | |||
The Malta women's national football team (Maltese: Tim nazzjonali tal-futbol ta' Malta tan-nisa) represents the Malta Football Association in international women's football matches sanctioned by UEFA.[2]
History
The team first appeared in official competitions in the 2005 European Championship's qualifying, debuting on August 10, 2003 in Bucharest with a 3–0 loss to Romania. Malta lost all eight games in the qualifiers, scoring once and conceding 35 goals. The team's first goal was scored by Sarah Caruana on November 16, 2003, against Croatia in a match played at the Gozo Stadium.[3]
After 13 losses, Malta achieved its first draw on June 7, 2006 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last match of the 2007 World Cup's qualifying. The team played in the 2011 World Cup's qualifying, losing all games including a record 0–13 defeat to Spain. On March 3, 2011, Malta won an official match for the first time in the 2013 European Championship qualifying's preliminary round, beating Georgia 1–0 with a goal by D'Agostino in injury time.
On April 6, 2013 Malta beat Luxembourg 6–0 in the 2015 World Cup qualifying's preliminary round. The team also defeated Latvia and drew with Albania to top the group and make it past a preliminary round for the first time.[4]
The team was coached from its foundation until 2014 by Pierre Brincat, and then from 2015 till 2022 by former U19 coach Mark Gatt.[5] Former Italian international Manuela Tesse was appointed as the head coach from 1 January 2023[6]
Team image
Home stadium
The Malta women's national team play their home matches at the Centenary Stadium.
Overall official record
| Competition | Stage | Result | Opponent | Position | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Euro qualifying | Regular stage (Class B) |
0–3 0–8 0–1 0–2 0–3 1–4 0–9 0–5 |
Romania Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Ireland |
5 / 5 | Caruana |
| 2007 World Cup qualifying | Regular stage (Class B) |
1–4 0–1 1–4 1–3 0–1 1–1 |
Croatia Slovenia Bosnia and Herzegovina |
4 / 4 | D'Agostino Theuma, Tonna Theuma |
| 2009 Euro qualifying | Preliminary round | 0–0 2–4 0–8 |
 Lithuania Luxembourg Slovakia |
4 / 4 | Carabott 2 |
| 2011 World Cup qualifying | Regular stage | 0–13 0–9 0–8 0–6 0–2 0–6 0–2 1–5 |
Spain England Austria Turkey |
5 / 5 | N. Pace |
| 2013 Euro qualifying | Preliminary round | 1–0 0–2 1–1 |
 Georgia Faroe Islands Armenia |
2 / 4 | D'Agostino Cuschieri |
| 2015 World Cup qualifying | Preliminary round | 1–1 6–0 2–0 |
 Albania Luxembourg Latvia |
1 / 4 | Theuma Theuma 2, Buttigieg, Carabott, Cuschieri, Xuereb Cuschieri, Theuma |
| Regular stage | 0–2 0–2 0–5 0–8 0–3 0–5 0–11 0–5 0–8 0–5 |
 Israel Denmark Serbia.svg.png){kind=small} Switzerland Iceland |
6 / 6 |
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2024
| 22 February Visit Malta Women's Tournament 2024 | | 2–0 | Faroe Islands | Paola, Malta |
| 18:00 | Stadium: Tony Bezzina Stadium |
| 25 February Visit Malta Women's Tournament 2024 | | 1–1 |  Belarus | Paola, Malta |
| 18:00 | Borg  58' |
Arcišeŭskaja 90+2' |
Stadium: Tony Bezzina Stadium |
| 5 April Euro 2025 qualifying | Northern Ireland .svg.png){kind=small} | 0–0 | | Belfast |
| Report | Stadium: Windsor Park Referee: Maria Marotta (Italy) |
| 9 April Euro 2025 qualifying | | 0–2 | .svg.png){kind=small} Portugal | Ta' Qali |
| Report | Stadium: Centenary Stadium Referee: Katalin Sipos (Hungary) |
| 31 May Euro 2025 qualifying | | 0–1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Ta' Qali |
| 19:30 | Report |
|
Stadium: Centenary Stadium Attendance: 661 Referee: Emily Heaslip (England) |
| 4 June Euro 2025 qualifying | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2–1 | | Zenica |
| 16:00 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Bosnia and Herzegovina FA Training Centre Referee: Sofik Torosyan (Armenia) |
| 12 July Euro 2025 qualifying | | 0–2 | Northern Ireland | Ta' Qali |
| 19:30 | Report | Stadium: Centenary Stadium |
| 16 July Euro 2025 qualifying | Portugal | 3–1 | | Leiria |
| 19:00 (18:00 UTC+1) | Report | Stadium: Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa |
| 25 October Friendly | Italy  | 5–0 | | Roma |
| 18:15 | Stadium: Stadio Tre Fontane |
| 29 November Friendly | | 1-3 |  Hungary | Ta' Qali,Malta |
| 14:00 | Bugeja ??' |
|
Stadium: Centenary Stadium |
| 3 December Friendly | | 1-1 | Hungary | Ta' Qali,Malta |
| 14:00 | Bugeja 53' |
Csizar 46' |
Stadium: Centenary Stadium |
2025
| 21 February 2025 UEFA Nations League C | Cyprus  | 2–1 | | Larnaca,Cyprus |
| 18:00 (19:00 EEST) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: AEK Arena Attendance: 180 Referee: Emily Heaslip (England) |
| 25 February 2025 UEFA Nations League C | | 1–0 |  Andorra | Ta' Qali |
| 19:30 |
|
Report | Stadium: Centenary Stadium Attendance: 612 Referee: Teresa Oliveira (Portugal) |
| 4 April 2025 UEFA Nations League C | Georgia | 2–3 | | Tbilisi,Georgia |
| 17:00 (19:00 GET) | Report | Stadium: Mikheil Meskhi Stadium Attendance: 853 Referee: Elvira Nurmustafina (Kazakhstan) |
| 8 April 2025 UEFA Nations League C | | 2–1 | Georgia | Ta' Qali,Malta |
| 19:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Centenary Stadium Attendance: 620 Referee: Cansu Tryak (Türkiye) |
| 30 May 2025 UEFA Nations League C | | 1–0 | Cyprus | Ta' Qali |
| 19:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 1,205 Referee: Sabina Bolić (Croatia) |
| 3 June 2025 UEFA Nations League C | Andorra | 0–0 | | Encamp |
| 19:00 | Report | Stadium: Estadi de la FAF Attendance: 470 Referee: Satu Miettunen (Finland) |
- Official Malta Fixtures (Friendly matches only) – MFA.com.mt
- Official Malta Results (Friendly matches only) – MFA.com.mt
- Malta Results and Fixtures – Soccerway.com
Coaching staff
Current coaching staff
| Position | Name | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Manuela Tesse
|
[1] |
| Assistant coach | Dionne Tonna
|
[2] |
| Physical coach | Karl Attard
|
[3] |
Coaching history
- As of 23 December 2023
| Manager | Malta career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre Brincat
|
2003–2014 | 60 | 11 | 8 | 41 | 18.3 |
| Mark Gatt
|
2015–2022 | 66 | 23 | 13 | 30 | 34.8 |
| Manuela Tesse
|
2023–Present | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 80.0 |
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League matches against Cyprus and Andorra on 30 May and 3 June 2025, respectively. [7]
Caps and goals are correct as of 3 June 2025, after the match against Andorra.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Janice Xuereb | 1 August 1996 | 73 | 0 | Birkirkara
|
| 12 | GK | Maya Cachia | 23 December 2004 | 3 | 0 | Hibernians
|
| 23 | GK | Patricia Ebejer | 23 February 2000 | 12 | 0 | Mġarr United
|
| 4 | DF | Emma Lipman (captain) | 23 February 1989 | 41 | 1 | Genoa
|
| 5 | DF | Stefania Farrugia | 11 September 1991 | 103 | 5 | Birkirkara
|
| 6 | DF | Valentina Rapa | 14 February 2002 | 7 | 0 | Swieqi United
|
| 6 | DF | Oceane Grange | 24 September 1995 | 5 | 0 |  RC Roubaix Wervicq
|
| 13 | DF | Maya Lucia | 6 July 2003 | 13 | 0 |  AP Orlen Gdańsk
|
| 15 | DF | Fiona Buttigieg | 18 July 1998 | 4 | 0 | Luton Town
|
| 16 | DF | Charlene Zammit | 18 January 1991 | 105 | 2 | Birkirkara
|
| 18 | DF | Emma Xuereb | 5 January 1992 | 84 | 4 | Swieqi United
|
| 22 | DF | Rebecca Bajada | 22 December 1994 | 19 | 0 | Mġarr United
|
| 2 | MF | Gabriella Zahra | 2 May 1991 | 60 | 1 | Birkirkara
|
| 3 | MF | Ann-Marie Said | 2 July 1994 | 52 | 0 | Mġarr United
|
| 8 | MF | Rachel Cuschieri (vice-captain) | 26 April 1992 | 107 | 15 | Genoa
|
| 14 | MF | Shona Zammit | 15 June 1996 | 88 | 7 | Swieqi United
|
| 17 | MF | Jana Barbara | 7 July 2001 | 2 | 0 |  FC Schalke 04
|
| 20 | MF | Nicole Sciberras | 28 April 2001 | 52 | 0 | Hibernians
|
| 21 | MF | Alexandra Gatt | 13 October 2004 | 2 | 0 | Durham Cestria
|
| 7 | FW | Lexine Farrugia | 6 July 2007 | 6 | 0 | Roma
|
| 9 | FW | Kailey Willis | 18 May 2003 | 22 | 3 | Venezia
|
| 10 | FW | Maria Farrugia | 9 January 2001 | 55 | 11 | Bristol City
|
| 11 | FW | Leah Ayres | 22 November 2003 | 5 | 0 | Hibernians
|
| 19 | FW | Yulya Carella | 30 March 2005 | 5 | 0 | Mġarr United
|
| 21 | FW | Haley Bugeja | 5 May 2004 | 40 | 24 | Inter Milan
|
Recent call-ups
The following players were called up to the squad within the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Giulia D'Antuono | 31 December 2003 | 2 | 0 | Mġarr United
|
v. Hungary, 3 December 2024
|
| GK | Christiana Pisani | 19 September 2003 | 0 | 0 | Lija Athletic
|
v. Hungary, 3 December 2024
|
| GK | Raisa Costantino | 23 May 2005 | 1 | 0 | SPD Tharros
|
v. Italy, 25 October 2024
|
| DF | Jessica Dimech | 22 June 2002 | 8 | 0 | Hibernians
|
v. Andorra, 25 February 2025
|
| DF | Tammy Falzon | 5 August 2005 | 0 | 0 | Swieqi United
|
v. Andorra, 25 February 2025
|
| DF | Abigail Camilleri | 11 September 1993 | 1 | 0 | Mġarr United
|
v. Hungary, 3 December 2024
|
| DF | Mariah Cardona | 14 December 2003 | 1 | 0 | Birkirkara
|
v. Italy, 25 October 2024
|
| DF | Leanne Cefai | 22 February 2000 | 0 | 0 | Mġarr United
|
v. Italy, 25 October 2024
|
| MF | Brenda Borg | 1 May 1997 | 79 | 5 | Mġarr United
|
v. Hungary, 3 December 2024
|
| MF | Maia Debono | 7 November 2001 | 3 | 0 | Mġarr United
|
v. Hungary, 3 December 2024
|
| MF | Sarah Urpani | 21 June 2000 | 0 | 0 | Swieqi United
|
v. Hungary, 3 December 2024
|
| MF | Michela Cachia | 25 August 2005 | 0 | 0 | Swieqi United
|
v. Hungary, 3 December 2024
|
| MF | Veronique Mifsud | 11 February 2003 | 11 | 0 | Birkirkara
|
v. Italy, 25 October 2024
|
| FW | Alishia Sultana | 9 April 1997 | 61 | 2 | Birkirkara
|
v. Georgia, 8 April 2025
|
| FW | Jade Flask | 4 August 1996 | 67 | 7 | Swieqi United
|
v. Andorra, 25 February 2025
|
| FW | Amber Grech | 10 November 1995 | 10 | 0 | Hibernians
|
v. Andorra, 25 February 2025
|
| FW | Ylenia Carabott | 2 March 1989 | 97 | 20 | London Seaward
|
v. Hungary, 3 December 2024
|
| ||||||
Captains
- Dorianne Theuma (????–????)
- Emma Lipman (????–)
Records
- *Active players in bold, statistics correct as of 9 August 2025.
Most capped players
Below is a list of the 10 players with the most caps for Malta.
| # | Player | Period | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorianne Theuma | 2003–2024 | 118 | 26 |
| 2 | Rachel Cuschieri | 2007–present | 107 | 15 |
| 3 | Charlene Zammit | 2009–present | 105 | 2 |
| 4 | Stefania Farrugia | 2007–present | 103 | 5 |
| 5 | Ylenia Carabott | 2005–present | 97 | 20 |
| 6 | Shona Zammit | 2014–present | 88 | 7 |
| 7 | Emma Xuereb | 2009–present | 84 | 4 |
| 8 | Brenda Borg | 2013–present | 79 | 5 |
| 9 | Janice Xuereb | 73 | 0 | |
| 10 | Jade Flask | 2014-present | 67 | 7 |
Top goalscorers
| # | Player | Year(s) | Goals | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorianne Theuma | 2003-2024 | 26 | 118 |
| 2 | Haley Bugeja | 2020-present | 24 | 40 |
| 3 | Ylenia Carabott | 2007-present | 20 | 97 |
| 4 | Rachel Cuschieri | 2009-present | 15 | 107 |
| 5 | Maria Farrugia | 2019-present | 11 | 55 |
| 6 | Jade Flask | 2014-present | 7 | 67 |
| 6 | Shona Zammit | 2014-present | 7 | 88 |
| 8 | Brenda Borg | 2013-present | 5 | 79 |
| 8 | Stefania Farrugia | 2013-present | 5 | 103 |
| 10 | Emma Xuereb | 2009-present | 4 | 84 |
Competitive record
FIFA Women's World Cup
| FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | |
 1991
|
Did not enter | UEFA Euro 1991 | ||||||||||||||
 1995
|
UEFA Euro 1995 | |||||||||||||||
 1999
|
Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| 2003
| ||||||||||||||||
| 2007
|
Did not qualify | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 14 | −10 | ||||||||
| 2011
|
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 51 | −50 | |||||||||
.svg.png){kind=small} 2015
|
13 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 56 | −47 | |||||||||
| 2019
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | |||||||||
.svg.png){kind=small}  2023
|
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 17 | −11 | |||||||||
 2027
|
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
 2031
|
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
 2035
|
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 38 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 23 | 140 | −117 | |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
UEFA Women's Championship
| UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualifying record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | |
 1984
|
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1987
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1989
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1991
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1993
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1995
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1997
| ||||||||||||||||
| 2001
| ||||||||||||||||
| 2005
|
Did not qualify | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 35 | – | ||||||||
 2009
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 2013
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
 2017
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2022
|
10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 30 | ||||||||||
| 2025
|
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 |  [a] |
30th | ||||||||
| 2029 | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 27 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 25 | 88 | 30th | ||
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
UEFA Nations League
| UEFA Nations League record | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | League | Group | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | |
| 2023–24 | C | 1 | 1st | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 |  |
34th | |
| 2025 | C | 2 | To be determined | |||||||||
| Total | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 34th | |||||
|
|
Promoted at end of season |
|---|---|
|
No movement at end of season |
|
|
Relegated at end of season |
| * | Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs |
See also
Malta International Football Tournament
- Sport in Malta
- Football in Malta
- Women's football in Malta
- Malta women's national football team
- Malta women's national under-20 football team
- Malta women's national under-17 football team
- Malta men's national football team
- Malta men's national under-21 football team
- Malta men's national under-19 football team
- Malta men's national under-17 football team
- Football in Malta
Notes
- ^ From Euro 2025 onwards a new qualifying format was introduced, linked to the Women's Nations League where teams are divided into leagues with promotion/relegation between the leagues at the end of each cycle.
References
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ "Malta – Women's". UEFA. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ Duret, Sébastien; Morrison, Neil (19 June 2005). "European Women Championship 2005 – Match Details". RSSSF. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ Aquilina, Domenic (18 April 2013). "Malta proud to make history". UEFA. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ Lia, Gianluca (8 February 2015). "Interview with Malta women's national team head coach Mark Gatt". Women's Soccer United. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ "MANUELA TESSE IS THE NEW NATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM HEAD COACH". Malta Football Association. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ "Tesse Calls Up Squad For Crucial UEFA Women's Nations League Matches With Cyprus And Andorra". Malta Football Association. 28 May 2025.
External links
- Official website Archived 5 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine (in English)
- The Sporting Fan
- FIFA profile
| National teams |
| ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic leagues |
| ||||||||||||
| Domestic cups |
| ||||||||||||
| Lists |
| ||||||||||||