Malta’s only shot on target beats Finland in World Cup qualifying

HELSINKI: Malta snatched their first win in 2026 World Cup qualifying on Friday, converting their 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.