Football in Malta
Although Malta is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean, it has a very large rich history of football.
Indeed, football in Malta has evolved considerably over the years, with the introduction of the Maltese First Division and the participation of local clubs in European competitions.
Today, football in Malta is very popular with the Maltese and attracts fans from all over the country.
If you are a football player and you are looking to launch your career, Malta is a perfect destination. Due to its small population, the level remains fairly low but it is very popular.
Clubs in all divisions offer very good salaries compared with other European countries.
The history of football in Malta
The first accounts date back to the end of the 19th century under English colonisation, when British officers began organising football matches between soldiers.
Over time, football gained in popularity, with the creation of the Malta Football Association in 1900.
Since then, football in Malta has seen many highlights, including Floriana FC's victory in the European Cup against Norway's Valerengens in 1971.
Today, clubs such as Hamrun FC, Gzira United, Balzan FC and Hibernians FC often manage to qualify for European competitions such as the Conference League, the Europa League and even the Champions League!
These clubs have never yet managed to reach the group stage of these competitions, but they are getting closer every year thanks to the huge budgets of some of these clubs.
A number of French-speaking players from Ligue 2 and Ligue National have already noticed the possibility of playing in Europe. with music from our continent's most famous cups in addition to very pleasant weather conditions all year round for equivalent pay.
We can take the example of Delvin Ndinga, about whom you can find more information here.
Football and Maltese Culture
Football is by far the island's most popular sport and, as the years went by, its popularity grew steadily as sporting performance improved across Europe.
With local values that vary from town to town, and despite its 500,000 inhabitants, it's not unusual to find a great popular fervour in the stadiums.
Indeed, with a very small surface area, all league matches become, in a way, derbies and it is not unusual to find 1000 supporters waving large flags in the lowest division of the official MFA championship.
The different football leagues in Malta
Malta has 2 different football leagues:
- The official MFA championship
- The MAFA annex championship
1. The MFA championship in detail (levels, salaries, etc.)
The MFA championship is the official championship of the Maltese Football Association.
In this championship, the Maltese Football Association (MFA) has introduced a foreign player limit which varies from division to division (see diagram above). By definition, a foreign player is a player who does not have Maltese nationality.
It has just 3 divisions:
- The Maltese BOV Premiere League (1st professional division)
- The BOV Challenge League (1st semi-professional division)
- The IZIBET Amateur League (1st amateur division)
The BOV Premier League
This division is the only professional division in the country and is made up of 14 teams and the top 4 qualify for the play-offs in the 3 main European competitions.
By way of comparison, some teams in this championship have a level comparable to French Ligue 2 and National 1 clubs.
It is possible to estimate a range of salaries between €1,500 and €15,000 per month. It depends on the club, because there are big financial disparities.
The Maltese players, often paid less than foreigners, some of them have a second job on the side.
A club in this division can have up to 12 non-Maltese players in its professional group.
The BOV Challenge League
This division represents the the country's only semi-professional division, it consists of 12 teams and the top two have the chance to move up to the professional division.
By way of comparison, some of the teams in this league are at a level comparable to the French National 2 and National 3 clubs.
It is also possible to estimate a salary range between 500 and €2000. All the Maltese players playing at this level have a second job.
On the other hand, the majority of foreign players make their living from football.
A club in this division can have up to 7 non-Maltese players in his semi-professional group.
The IZIBET Amateur League
This division represents the only amateur division of the country, it is made up of 16 teams divided into two groups.
The top 4 teams in each group take part in the Play-Off for promotion to the semi-professional division.
By way of comparison, some teams in this championship have a level comparable to French regional clubs.
Although the majority of Maltese players are not paid, foreign players can earn salaries ranging from 200€ à 1000€.
A club in this division can have up to 3 non-Maltese players in his amateur group.
2. The MAFA Championship in detail (levels, salaries, etc.)
The Maltese Amateur Football Association (MAFA) is the most famous of Malta's subsidiary leagues. Unlike the official MFA football championship, it is entirely amateur and There is no limit on the number of foreign players.
It has 3 divisions:
- The Mochika MAFA First Division
- MAFA Second Division
- MAFA Third Division
Each division is made up of 8 teamsThe first two go up and the last two go down.
Due to the unlimited number of foreign players, some of the teams in this league are of a higher standard than some of the teams in the official IZIBET Amateur League. However, there are a number of reasons for this, players cannot claim any salary.
This championship has the particularity of being closely followed by the clubs of the official MFA championship in order to selecting the best players and integrate them into their teams during the season.
3. The U21 Football Championship in Malta
Each club taking part in the official MFA championship must have a U21 team playing in one of the 4 youth championship divisions:
- Section A
- Section B
- Section C
- Section D
At this age, each team can have 2 foreign players under 21 on the match sheet.
This can be very interesting for young players looking for a career abroad because most professional and semi-professional teams include the best players from the youth teams in their training groups.
This gives us an incredible opportunity to train with top-level professional players.
What's more, by putting in a string of good performances, players can earn themselves be offered pro and/or semi-pro contracts with the senior teams for the following season.
The Place and Role of ProEvolution Academy in the Maltese Football Championship
With a team made up entirely of foreign players (French, Belgian, Swiss, etc.), the team at our private football training centre plays within the first division of the MAFA annexe championship.
The aim of our academy is to to help players progress personallyThat's why we place so little importance on league results.
These matches are useful for our technical staff in order to identify the players who are performing well and then to give them a chance to improve their skills. give trials in the official MFA championship.
Football Trials open!
Sign up and participate in our selections.
Take advantage of this opportunity to join our football training centre at the start of the school year. JANUARY 2026.