The Malta women’s national team will close out their 2025 calendar with two friendly matches against Croatia, an important step in their preparations for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Malta, who are currently sit 88th in the FIFA rankings, face 59th-placed Croatia in the first friendly on Friday at 7pm at the Centenary Stadium.
Despite the gap, Malta may still enter these fixtures as slight favourites, given their status as a League B side.
Croatia, on the other hand, will compete in League C following their relegation from the second tier of the UEFA Women’s Nations League.
These friendlies form part of Malta’s build-up to the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign. The Maltese team has been drawn into League B, Group 2, where they will face Switzerland, Northern Ireland, and Turkey.
Drawn from Pot 4, Malta earned their place in this league thanks to their promotion from League C earlier this year.
The qualifiers will run between February/March and June 2026, with Malta opening their campaign in Turkey before hosting Switzerland, the Euro 2025 hosts.
Looking ahead to the Croatia matches, coach Manuela Tesse shared her assessment of the opposition after analysing their recent friendlies against Montenegro.
“To be honest, I focused on Croatia’s last two games, friendlies against Montenegro – they lost one and won one. I think they are of the same level as us, but only pitch can confirm that,” Tesse said.
“I think they are less physical and less technical than Belarus, but it is obviously a good test for us to prepare as we expect a good Croatia side nonetheless.”
Reflecting on Malta’s recent defeat to Belarus, Tesse highlighted key areas for improvement.
“From the Belarus game? We need to improve our build-up from the back, but also being clinical upfront. But obviously, we need to improve our development play because otherwise, we can definitely not be a threat in the final third.
“I was angry after the Belarus game, but after rewatching the match, I was a little more pleased with what I saw but there is room for improvement.”
The squad will be without Haley Bugeja, who is recovering from a knee injury sustained with Inter during a Serie A match against Roma. She is expected to return to action in December. Tesse noted that her absence opens the door for others to step up.
“Haley Bugeja will be missing, so this is a chance for the other players to capitalise on their opportunity of playing. With Bugeja, we did not score against Belarus as well, so even with full strength, we can have difficulties. But I am looking forward to seeing the reaction of the team in these matches.”
The first friendly against Croatia will count toward the FIFA rankings, while the second will not – potentially giving Tesse the chance to rotate her squad and offer minutes to less frequent selections.
From the initial 28-player call-up, Tesse named a final squad of 24 players, leaving out Emma Xuereb, Tammy Falzon, Jessica Dimech, and Amber Grech.
Malta will also be without several injured players, including Bugeja, Fiona Buttigieg, Jana Barbara, and Charlene Zammit.