Fans searching for Malta National Football Team vs England National Football Team Lineups are usually looking for one of two things: the starting elevens from the most recent meeting between the two nations, or a sense of how a future match would look given the players each manager now has available. This guide covers both. There is no Malta versus England fixture on the calendar at the moment, so rather than invent a team sheet, we rebuild the picture from the confirmed lineups of the two most recent games (June and November 2023), the current England squad under Thomas Tuchel, the Malta group coached by Emilio De Leo, and the latest ten results for each side. Everything below reflects information available up to the start of November 2026.
Where the two teams stand right now
The gulf between these two national teams is among the widest in European football, and the last few months have only emphasised it. England arrived at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America as one of the favourites and left with the bronze medal, their best finish since they lifted the trophy in 1966. They topped Group L, came from behind to beat DR Congo 2-1 in the round of 32, edged Mexico 3-2 in Mexico City, and overcame Norway 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals thanks to a Jude Bellingham double. A 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina ended the dream of a first final since 1966, but England recovered to beat France 6-4 in a wild third-place match in which Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick.
Since then, England have begun the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League in League A, Group 3, alongside Spain, Croatia and Czechia. The campaign opened with a 3-2 home defeat to Spain, followed by a 2-0 win in Prague, a remarkable 7-0 victory away to Croatia and a 3-0 win over Czechia at Wembley. That leaves England second in the group on nine points, three behind Spain, with the return fixtures against Croatia (12 November) and Spain (15 November) still to come.
Malta’s story is very different but not without encouragement. The Reds sit around 161st in the FIFA rankings and play in League D of the Nations League, where they are in Group 1 with Andorra and Gibraltar. They have started the 2026-27 campaign well, winning 2-1 away to Andorra, drawing 1-1 at home to Gibraltar and beating Andorra 1-0 at Ta’ Qali on 4 October. They also beat Liechtenstein 2-0 in a friendly and Azerbaijan 2-0 in June. Their final group match is away to Gibraltar on 16 November. It was also only last November that Malta pulled off a rare 1-0 away win over Finland in World Cup qualifying, which Maltese football writers described as only the fourth win in the nation’s World Cup qualifying history.
Head-to-head record: England have won every meeting
The two sides have met seven times in senior competitive and friendly football, and England have won all seven. Before the two 2023 games, the aggregate score across five matches stood at 14-1 in England’s favour. The 2023 fixtures added a further six goals for England without reply.
| Date | Competition | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 (two matches) | European Championship qualifying | Valletta / London | England won both (aggregate 6-0) |
| 3 June 2000 | Friendly (Malta FA centenary) | National Stadium, Ta’ Qali | Malta 1-2 England |
| October 2016 | World Cup qualifying | Wembley | England 2-0 Malta |
| 1 September 2017 | World Cup qualifying | National Stadium, Ta’ Qali | Malta 0-4 England |
| 16 June 2023 | Euro 2024 qualifying | National Stadium, Ta’ Qali | Malta 0-4 England |
| 17 November 2023 | Euro 2024 qualifying | Wembley | England 2-0 Malta |
The pattern is consistent. England usually score early, control possession and use the match to test fringe players, while Malta defend deep in a back five and look for set-pieces or counter-attacks through their wide players. Malta’s only goal in all seven meetings arrived in the 2000 friendly.
England squad: the players who matter
Thomas Tuchel named a 27-man group for the September and October 2026 Nations League window, although several players later withdrew. Declan Rice, Cole Palmer and Marcus Rashford were among five withdrawals before the Spain game, and Tino Livramento and Kobbie Mainoo were also ruled out of the following fixtures. The squad as originally announced is a useful guide to England’s depth.
Goalkeepers. Jordan Pickford (Everton) remains the first choice and was recalled for the Croatia game after missing out earlier in the window. James Trafford (Leeds United) has made a steady start to his international career, with caps against Uruguay and New Zealand, and Jason Steele (Brighton) completes the group. Pickford’s distribution and penalty-area command make him the logical starter in any match where England expect to dominate the ball.
Defenders. Trent Alexander-Arnold, now at Real Madrid, is the most creative full-back in the squad and has previously played in midfield for England against Malta, scoring in the 4-0 win in 2023. Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa are the established centre-back pairing, with Jarrad Branthwaite, Trevoh Chalobah and Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen) offering competition. Nico O’Reilly, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento provide left-sided and right-sided options. Konsa scored with a header in the bronze-final win over France, a reminder that England’s defenders also contribute at set-pieces.
Midfielders. Jude Bellingham is the heartbeat of the team. His tournament tally of seven goals at the 2026 World Cup is the most by an England player at a single World Cup, and he scored the quarter-final winner against Norway and a late goal against France. Declan Rice (Arsenal) provides the screening and ball-winning, while Elliot Anderson, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kobbie Mainoo and Alex Scott offer energy and progression from deeper areas. Cole Palmer, when fit, supplies the final pass and the quality in tight spaces that low blocks demand.
Forwards. Harry Kane is England’s all-time leading scorer and became the country’s leading World Cup scorer in the finals, reaching 13 goals across three tournaments with his two goals against DR Congo. He scored from the penalty spot in the 2023 win in Malta. Bukayo Saka, fresh from his hat-trick against France, is the most reliable wide threat. Marcus Rashford, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers, Rio Ngumoha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United) give Tuchel a wide range of attacking profiles, from pace in behind to a physical target man for crosses against a packed penalty area.
Malta squad: the players who matter
Malta’s squad is built around a core of Maltese-born players and several dual-heritage professionals who play in leagues across Europe. Head coach Emilio De Leo has settled on a 4-2-3-1 system in the Nations League, and the same goalkeeper has started each of the recent games.
Goalkeeper. Henry Bonello is the undisputed number one. He produced a series of outstanding saves in the 1-0 win in Helsinki last November and has been a constant in Malta’s lineups for several years, including both 2023 games against England. Against a side with England’s attacking quality, his shot-stopping would be Malta’s first line of defence.
Defenders. Zach Muscat and Ryan Camenzuli have featured at full-back in recent games, with Camenzuli also an attacking threat who scored the 45th-minute winner away to Andorra in 2024. The centre-back positions are usually filled from a group that includes Shaw and Pepe, while Sam Borg and Jan Borg appeared in the back line against England in 2023. James Carragher is a notable absentee from the current squad.
Midfielders. Matthew Guillaumier captains the side from central midfield and is the glue between defence and attack. Teddy Teuma, the technically gifted playmaker who has contributed assists in Belgian football, scored the decisive goal against Andorra on 4 October, assisted by Ilyas Chouaref. Satariano provides defensive cover alongside Guillaumier, and Paul Mbong and Joseph Mbong add pace and directness. Joseph Mbong was suspended for the opening Nations League match but scored against Gibraltar.
Forwards. Irvin Cardona, who has three international goals, is the likeliest lone striker in the 4-2-3-1 and presses from the front. Kyrian Nwoko, who has scored for Malta in friendly wins, offers an alternative. Against England, however, Malta would almost certainly sit deeper, switch to a back five and rely on counter-attacks.
Confirmed lineups from the last two meetings
The most reliable way to understand how a Malta National Football Team vs England National Football Team Lineups comparison works is to study the team sheets from the last two matches. Both were Euro 2024 qualifiers, and both ended in comfortable England wins.
Malta 0-4 England (16 June 2023, National Stadium, Ta’ Qali)
England were 3-0 up at half-time. Frank Apap put through his own net on eight minutes, Alexander-Arnold scored on 28 and Harry Kane converted a penalty on 31. Callum Wilson added a late penalty on 83 minutes.
England XI (4-3-3): Pickford; Trippier, Guehi, Maguire, Shaw; Rice, Alexander-Arnold, Henderson; Saka, Kane, Maddison.
Southgate’s selection mixed experience with a midfield that allowed Alexander-Arnold to step into the centre of the pitch, giving England extra creativity against Malta’s deep block.
Malta: Marcolini’s team was expected to set up with numbers behind the ball. Pre-match reporting suggested a back three or five, with Bonello in goal, Muscat, Apap and Borg in defence, and Jones and Nwoko leading the line, although Teddy Teuma was missing with a foot injury. Treat that as a predicted rather than confirmed selection.
England 2-0 Malta (17 November 2023, Wembley Stadium)
With England already qualified, Southgate rotated. A crowd of 81,388 watched England win 2-0. Malta’s Matthew Guillaumier was booked in the first half.
England XI (4-3-3): Pickford; Trippier, Guehi, Maguire, Tomori; Henderson, Alexander-Arnold, Gallagher; Foden, Kane, Rashford.
Malta XI (5-3-2): Bonello; J. Mbong, S. Borg, Pepe, J. Borg, Camenzuli; Teuma, Guillaumier, Yankam; P. Mbong, Reid.
The key takeaways are clear. Malta lined up in a five-man defence with wing-backs to protect the box, while England used inverted full-back and midfield rotations to pull the Maltese shape apart.
How a lineup could look today (projection)
Because no match is scheduled, the following is an informed projection rather than a confirmed team sheet.
England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Eze; Kane. Tuchel could rotate heavily against a lower-ranked opponent, giving minutes to Trafford, Branthwaite, Lewis-Skelly, Gordon, Rogers or Calvert-Lewin.
Malta (5-3-2 or 4-2-3-1): Bonello; Muscat, Shaw, Pepe, Camenzuli; Guillaumier, Satariano; Chouaref, Teuma, P. Mbong; Cardona. Against England, De Leo would likely drop a midfielder into the back line and ask the wide players to track back.
Tactical battle: what to watch for
The central tactical question in any Malta versus England fixture is how England break down a low block. Malta concede possession, compress the space between defence and midfield and look to win the ball for a quick transition. England’s answer, in both 2023 games, was early goals. Set-pieces, long shots and overlapping full-backs produced the first breakthrough, after which the match opened up.
For Malta, the objectives are realistic: keep the game level for the first half hour, avoid conceding from corners and free-kicks, and use Teuma’s vision and the pace of the Mbong brothers to threaten on the break. For England, the priorities are patience, tempo and finishing. With Kane, Saka, Bellingham and Rashford available, England’s attackers have shown at this summer’s World Cup that they can score in volume when the game opens up.
England’s latest 10 matches
| Date | Competition | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct 2026 | UEFA Nations League | England 3-0 Czechia | Win |
| 3 Oct 2026 | UEFA Nations League | Croatia 0-7 England | Win |
| 29 Sep 2026 | UEFA Nations League | Czechia 0-2 England | Win |
| 26 Sep 2026 | UEFA Nations League | England 2-3 Spain | Loss |
| 18 Jul 2026 | World Cup (third-place match) | France 4-6 England | Win |
| 15 Jul 2026 | World Cup (semi-final) | England 1-2 Argentina | Loss |
| 11 Jul 2026 | World Cup (quarter-final) | Norway 1-2 England (aet) | Win |
| 6 Jul 2026 | World Cup (round of 16) | Mexico 2-3 England | Win |
| 1 Jul 2026 | World Cup (round of 32) | England 2-1 DR Congo | Win |
| 27 Jun 2026 | World Cup (Group L) | Panama 0-2 England | Win |
England have won eight of their last ten, scoring 28 goals and conceding 14.
Malta’s latest 10 matches
| Date | Competition | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 2026 | UEFA Nations League | Malta 1-0 Andorra | Win |
| 1 Oct 2026 | UEFA Nations League | Malta 1-1 Gibraltar | Draw |
| 27 Sep 2026 | Friendly | Malta 2-0 Liechtenstein | Win |
| 24 Sep 2026 | UEFA Nations League | Andorra 1-2 Malta | Win |
| 5 Jun 2026 | Friendly | Azerbaijan 0-2 Malta | Win |
| 1 Jun 2026 | Friendly | Slovakia 2-1 Malta | Loss |
| 31 Mar 2026 | UEFA Nations League play-out | Luxembourg 3-0 Malta | Loss |
| 26 Mar 2026 | UEFA Nations League play-out | Malta 0-2 Luxembourg | Loss |
| 17 Nov 2025 | World Cup qualifying | Malta 2-3 Poland | Loss |
| 14 Nov 2025 | World Cup qualifying | Finland 0-1 Malta | Win |
Malta have won five, drawn one and lost four of their last ten. The two defeats to Luxembourg in March meant the team stayed in League D, but the form since June has been encouraging, with four wins and a draw in five matches.
Frequently asked questions
1. Are Malta and England scheduled to play each other soon?
No. As of 1 November 2026 there is no senior men’s fixture between the two nations. England’s next matches are Nations League games against Croatia on 12 November and Spain on 15 November, while Malta travel to Gibraltar on 16 November.
2. When did Malta and England last play?
Their most recent meeting was a Euro 2024 qualifier at Wembley on 17 November 2023, which England won 2-0. Earlier that year, England won 4-0 in Ta’ Qali on 16 June 2023.
3. Has Malta ever beaten England?
No. England have won all seven meetings, and Malta’s only goal in those games came in a 2-1 defeat in a friendly in June 2000.
4. Who are England’s key players?
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marc Guehi and Jordan Pickford form the spine of Thomas Tuchel’s side. Bellingham scored seven goals at the 2026 World Cup, while Saka scored a hat-trick in the bronze final.
5. Who are Malta’s key players?
Goalkeeper Henry Bonello, captain Matthew Guillaumier, playmaker Teddy Teuma, striker Irvin Cardona and full-back Ryan Camenzuli are the most important figures under head coach Emilio De Leo.
Final thoughts
Whenever the next fixture is confirmed, expect the same broad pattern: England with a technically superior, rotating eleven and Malta with a compact five-man defence built on discipline and hard work. Until then, the 2023 team sheets, the current England squad and Malta’s improving Nations League form give supporters everything needed to interpret any Malta National Football Team vs England National Football Team Lineups announcement. Check the official England and Malta FA channels roughly an hour before kick-off, because injuries, withdrawals and tactical changes can alter the final selection.
England National Football Team Vs Brazil National Football Team Lineups
One thought on “Malta National Football Team vs England National Football Team Lineups”