Malta’s national hockey team finished fourth at the EuroHockey Championship Qualifier II 2026 after suffering a narrow 4-3 defeat to Luxembourg in a penalty shoot-out.
The third-place play-off ended 1-1 after regulation time, with Luxembourg taking an early lead through Frédéric Schmit, who converted a penalty corner in the third minute.
Malta responded before the interval, drawing level in the 24th minute when Christ Agius found the back of the net.
Both teams created opportunities in an evenly contested encounter, but neither side was able to break the deadlock during the remainder of normal time, sending the match to a penalty shoot-out.
Luxembourg held their nerve from the spot, edging the shoot-out 4-3 to secure third place, while Malta concluded the tournament in fourth after a series of encouraging performances throughout the competition.
