FIFA World Cup qualifiers 2026
Malta……..2
Poland…..3
Malta produced one of their most spirited performances in recent memory, but fell just short as Poland edged a dramatic encounter 3–2 with a late Piotr Zieliński strike deep into the second half.
In front of a vibrant crowd of 10,000, Malta matched Poland stride for stride, showing courage, intensity and belief from the first whistle. After Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring with a trademark header, Malta reacted superbly. Irvin Cardona levelled the match with a smart finish from close range on 36 minutes, moments after Joseph Mbong and Alexander Satariano had both been denied.
Poland restored their lead early in the second half through Paweł Wszołek, but the turning point arrived at 61 minutes when Cardona was fouled inside the area. After a VAR review overturned a Polish goal, Teddy Teuma stepped up and calmly buried the penalty to make it 2–2, sparking huge celebrations inside the stadium.
With momentum shifting towards a brave Maltese side, the final phase became a tense battle. Henry Bonello, once again outstanding, produced a string of crucial saves to keep Malta level, while Adam Magri Overend and Satariano both threatened at the other end.
But with five minutes left on the clock, Poland found their moment. Zieliński collected the ball outside the area and drove a precise left-footed strike into the bottom corner, after a deflection by Gabriel Mentz, breaking Maltese hearts and settling the match at 3–2.
Malta pushed relentlessly during the 10 minutes of added time, forcing corners and testing Poland’s defence, but the equaliser never arrived.
A defeat on paper, but a performance full of character, quality and pride. Malta stood toe-to-toe with a top European side and were undone only by a moment of brilliance at the end. The effort, the fight and the belief shown in Ta’ Qali National Stadium left fans applauding long after the final whistle.
