The Malta Football Association has concluded its annual review of the 2024–25 football season, presenting a wide-ranging report to clubs across all divisions while also unveiling new initiatives, including the launch of the Jubilee Cup to mark the Association’s 125th anniversary.
The landmark competition will bring together clubs from every division as well as other affiliated member associations in a new tournament designed to celebrate the heritage of Maltese football. A notable regulation for the Jubilee Cup will limit teams to a maximum of five non-homegrown players on the field at any one time, underlining the FA’s continued commitment to local player development.
President Bjorn Vassallo and his administration held a series of meetings with club officials from the Premier League, Challenge League and National Amateur League at Ta’ Qali in recent days. During the sessions, the Malta FA shared key data and financial insights, including detailed statistics on homegrown player participation, youth development incentives and match attendance figures.
One of the most encouraging takeaways from the review was the sharp rise in attendances across the entire domestic calendar. The total number of spectators in the Premier League, Challenge League and National Amateur League reached 184,056, while domestic cup competitions added a further 29,015 attendees. In total, the 2024–25 season recorded 213,071 spectators, a significant 26 per cent increase compared to 169,523 in 2023–24. The Challenge League saw the biggest leap, with a 38 per cent rise in attendance. The National Amateur League followed with a 27 per cent increase, while the Premier League grew by 21 per cent. The FA Trophy and Super Cup final saw a combined growth of 11 per cent.
The Premier League itself underwent a major transformation this season with a new competition format resulting in 236 total fixtures, including playoffs and final four rounds. Melita FC led the way with the highest number of homegrown player appearances at 195, while Mosta FC topped the list for Under-21 homegrown appearances with 69. Kurt Shaw of Hibernians FC logged the most minutes played by a homegrown player at 2,774, with Marsaxlokk FC’s Leandro Aguirre and Sliema Wanderers’ Kelvin Agu Emeka the top non-homegrown players in minutes played, both reaching 2,880.
Under the development scheme supporting youth participation, the Malta FA and the Malta Premier League allocated a combined €250,000 to eligible clubs. Mosta FC, Naxxar Lions, Żabbar St. Patrick, Ħamrun Spartans, and Melita were the clubs with the highest number of youth player appearances.
In the BOV Challenge League, 176 matches were played primarily at the Centenary Stadium and the Victor Tedesco Stadium. Luke Bonnici (Lija Athletic), Jake Pisani (St Andrew’s), and Andreas Vella (Tarxien Rainbows) each recorded 1,980 minutes as the most utilised homegrown players. A detailed review of the inaugural Challenge Cup was also presented, with discussions underway for a revised format in the upcoming season, which may include Gozitan teams from the top division.
In the National Amateur League, James Abela of Għargħur registered the highest minutes among homegrown players in NAL 1 with 2,153 minutes, while Siggiewi’s Leon Seisun and Victoria Hotspurs’ Dejan Bogdanovic each played 1,620 minutes in NAL 2. Across the Challenge League and Amateur divisions, the development fund distributed a total of €90,000 in financial incentives. Further information was shared regarding the UEFA Solidarity Scheme and its updated criteria.
The Association confirmed that the BOV Super Cup between Ħamrun Spartans and FA Trophy winners Hibernians is scheduled for 12 August 2025, depending on the clubs’ involvement in UEFA competitions. Should scheduling conflicts arise, the match will be moved to 10 February 2026. Meanwhile, the Jubilee Cup final for both men’s and women’s competitions is set for 8 December 2025.
The Premier League for season 2025–26 will begin on the weekend of 16 August. The Challenge League and National Amateur League will follow in September after the FIFA international window. The BOV Youth League will kick off in late August. Draws for all domestic competitions, including the BOV Challenge League, National Amateur Leagues 1 and 2, the Assikura Women’s League and the Youth League, will take place on 3 July 2025 and will be broadcast on TVMSports+.
The Malta FA also provided updates on its infrastructure projects, including pitch renovations at the Centenary Stadium and the Luxol Stadium. These are the final stadiums in a national upgrade strategy which already transformed facilities at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, the Sirens Stadium and the Charles Abela Stadium. The upgrades are expected to be completed between June and July this year.
Environmental responsibility was also part of the agenda. The Association reiterated its collaboration with Project Green through the Green Goal scheme, which encourages clubs to adopt sustainable practices including improved landscaping, irrigation systems and energy efficiency. Financial support has already been distributed to clubs, and further applications for funding are currently open.
With improvements on and off the pitch, increased attendances, facility upgrades and the launch of the historic Jubilee Cup, the Malta FA has signalled a forward-looking approach heading into the 2025–26 season.
