Malta’s national football coach, Emilio De Leo, has announced a provisional squad of 37 players for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers.
Malta will kick off their Group G campaign with a home match against Finland on Friday, 21st March 2025, at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium. The game starts at 20:45 and will be De Leo’s first match in charge since taking over as head coach in January. Three days later, the team will travel to Warsaw for a tough away match against Poland at the Stadion Narodowy on Monday, 24th March, also at 20:45.
De Leo’s squad includes experienced players alongside young talents and new faces, some from the Challenge League, Malta’s second division. Among the new additions are two players who recently obtained Maltese citizenship through descent—James Lee Carragher from Wigan Athletic and Ilyas Chouaref from Swiss club FC Sion. This brings the number of foreign-based players in the squad to nine.
Ħamrun Spartans players Steve Borg and Luke Montebello, who missed the last international games in November due to injury, return to the squad. They are joined by their younger teammates Mattias Ellul and Sven Xerri, as well as Juan Carlos Corbalan (Marsaxlokk), Jake Grech (Floriana), Bjorn Kristensen (Hibernians), Adam Magri Overend (Sliema Wanderers), and Brandon Diego Paiber (Valletta). Defender Zach Muscat, now playing in Turkey, is also included.
The squad features five players from the Under-21 team, including Ellul and Xerri, as well as Andrew Borg (Gżira United), Jake Azzopardi (Valletta), and Isaiah Chukunyere (Hibernians). Other new additions include Mattia Veselji, who plays in Serbia, and Aleandro Garzia (Floriana).
However, the team will be without defender Gabriel Mentz, who is suspended, and injured players Jurgen Degabriele, Kemar Reid, Jodie Jones, and Dylan Scicluna.
Fans can buy tickets online or at the stadium on matchday.
Malta’s 37-man provisional squad
Goalkeepers:
- Rashed Al Tumi (FC Sheriff Tiraspol – Moldova)
- Henry Bonello (Ħamrun Spartans)
- Matthew Grech (Birkirkara)
Defenders:
- Myles Beerman (Sliema Wanderers)
- Jean Borg (Sliema Wanderers)
- Steve Borg (Ħamrun Spartans)
- Ryan Camenzuli (Ħamrun Spartans)
- James Lee Carragher (Wigan Athletic – England)
- Juan Carlos Corbalan (Marsaxlokk)
- Mattias Ellul (Ħamrun Spartans)
- Aleandro Garzia (Floriana)
- Adam Magri Overend (Sliema Wanderers)
- Neil Micallef (Birkirkara)
- Zach Muscat (Sanliurfaspor – Turkey)
- Enrico Pepe (Gżira United)
- Sven Xerri (Ħamrun Spartans)
- Carlo Zammit Lonardelli (Floriana)
- Kurt Shaw (Hibernians)
Midfielders:
- Jake Azzopardi (Valletta)
- Andrew Borg (Gżira United)
- Jake Grech (Floriana)
- Matthew Guillaumier (FKS Stal Mielec – Poland)
- Bjorn Kristensen (Hibernians)
- Brandon Diego Paiber (Valletta)
- Steven Pisani (Sliema Wanderers)
- Alexander Satariano (Birkirkara)
- Teddy Teuma (Stade de Reims – France)
- Dunstan Vella (Floriana)
Forwards:
- Joseph Mbong (Ħamrun Spartans)
- Paul Mbong (Birkirkara)
- Luke Montebello (Ħamrun Spartans)
- Kyrian Nwoko (Sliema Wanderers)
- Basil Tuma (Reading U21 – England)
- Mattia Veselji (FK Smederevo 1924 – Serbia)
- Trent Buhagiar (Kapaz P.F.K. – Azerbaijan)
- Ilyas Chouaref (FC Sion – Switzerland)
- Isaiah Chukunyere (Hibernians)
