Malta snatched its first win in 2026 World Cup qualifying on Friday, converting its only shot on target to stun Finland 1-0 in Helsinki.
According to the Malta Football Association, this was only the fourth win ever by Malta in World Cup qualifying.
Midfielder Jake Grech came off the bench in the 79th minute and scored the decisive goal three minutes later from the edge of the area. It was only Malta’s second goal in seven qualifiers, against 16 conceded.
Finland enjoyed most of the possession and had 14 attempts, even hitting the woodwork.
Malta rose to fourth in Europe Group G, five points behind Finland, which can’t qualify. The Netherlands could later secure a place in the 2026 finals from the same group with a win over Poland.
Meanwhile, in Group A, Germany will be guaranteed of a top-two finish if it beats Luxembourg and Northern Ireland fails to defeat Slovakia, or if Germany draws and Northern Ireland loses.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
AP Sports Writer
