Malta’s under-18 water polo team, coached by Jonathan Valletta, secured a historic ninth-place finish at the European Junior Water Polo Championship after defeating Germany on penalties in the ninth and tenth place play-off.
It was the second time in the tournament that Malta overcame Germany via a penalty shoot-out. The young Maltese side started superbly, racing into a three-nil lead in the opening quarter and maintaining a one-goal advantage heading into the final period despite losing the second and third quarters by three goals to two and four to three, respectively. Germany edged the fourth quarter by five goals to four to level the match at twelve each, forcing penalties, where Malta prevailed by five goals to four.
Jayden Cutajar led Malta’s scoring with four goals, while Luigi Dimech added a hat-trick. The result confirms Malta among Europe’s top ten at this age group for the first time, an important milestone for the national set-up and a testament to the squad’s resilience and composure under pressure.
ASA president Karl Izzo hailed the outcome as a “remarkable achievement” reflecting collective effort and a long-term strategy to elevate Maltese water polo. He said the association remains determined to keep climbing the European rankings and strengthen Malta’s visibility on the international stage. Izzo also invited supporters to welcome the team at Malta International Airport at 19:00, encouraging the public to honour the players’ success and look ahead to even greater accomplishments.
