2025–26 Maltese Premier League
Football league season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025–26 Maltese Premier League (referred to as the YoHealth Malta Premier for sponsorship reasons)[1] was the 111th season of top-flight league football in Malta. The season began on 16 August 2025 and concluded with the final of the final four on 16 May 2026.[2] Ħamrun Spartans entered the season as defending champions having won their eleventh Premier League title in the previous season, their third consecutive one.
Tarxien Rainbows
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 16 August 2025 – 16 May 2026 |
| Champions | Floriana |
| Relegated | Naxxar Lions Tarxien Rainbows |
| UEFA Champions League | Floriana |
| UEFA Conference League | Valletta Marsaxlokk Ħamrun Spartans |
| Matches | 192 |
| Goals | 483 (2.52 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Yuri Joseph Mbong (12 goals each) |
| Biggest home win | Birkirkara 5-0 Tarxien Rainbows (3 February 2026), Naxxar Lions 5-0 Mosta (4 February 2026) |
| Biggest away win | Birkirkara 1-6 Hamrun Spartans (21 December 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Hibernians 5–3 Gzira United (18 August 2025) |
| Longest winning run | Floriana (5 games) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Floriana (11 games) |
| Longest winless run | Naxxar Lions and Mosta (both 10 games) |
| Longest losing run | Mosta (5 games) |
← 2024–25 2026–27 → | |
Teams
Twelve teams are competing in the league: the top ten teams from the previous season and two teams promoted from the Challenge League.
Changes from the previous season
- Promoted to the Premier League
- Relegated to the Challenge League
Locations
| Team | In league since | City |
|---|---|---|
| Birkirkara | 1990 | Birkirkara |
| Floriana | 1986 | Floriana |
| Gżira United | 2016 | Gżira |
| Ħamrun Spartans | 2016 | Ħamrun |
| Hibernians | 1945 | Paola |
| Marsaxlokk | 2022 | Marsaxlokk |
| Mosta | 2011 | Mosta |
| Naxxar Lions | 2023 | Naxxar |
| Sliema Wanderers | 2023 | Sliema |
| Tarxien Rainbows | 2025 | Tarxien |
| Valletta | 2025 | Valletta |
| Żabbar St. Patrick | 2024 | Żabbar |
Personnel and kits
| Team | Manager | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (front) | Shirt sponsor (back) | Shirt sponsor (sleeve) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birkirkara | McDonald's | Inter Sport (bottom) | |||
| Floriana | Boggi | Go & Fun (right) | |||
| Gżira United | Miracles Food (left) | ||||
| Ħamrun Spartans |
|
|
| ||
| Hibernians | Bezzina | ||||
| Marsaxlokk | 1padel | Mr. Fitz Restaurant Marsaxlokk (left) | |||
| Mosta | Simply Clean |
|
|||
| Naxxar Lions | VC Service Station |
|
| ||
| Sliema Wanderers |
|
|
| ||
| Tarxien Rainbows | Cassar | ||||
| Valletta | Iniala | Intersport | |||
| Żabbar St. Patrick | The Shoreline | ||||
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in the table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birkirkara | Sacked | 29 August 2025[12] | 8th | 14 September 2025[13] | ||
| Gżira United | Resigned | 28 September 2025[14] | 12th | 29 September 2025[15] | ||
| Naxxar Lions | Resigned | 14 December 2025[16] | 12th | 15 December 2025[17] | ||
| Sliema Wanderers | Mutual Consent | 5 January 2026[18] | 3rd | 7 January 2026[19] |
Venues
The matches will be played mainly at the Ta' Qali National Stadium and the Tony Bezzina Stadium. However, the Centenary Stadium, the Gozo Stadium and the Victor Tedesco Stadium will be used for other matches.
| Ta' Qali | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ta' Qali National Stadium | Centenary Stadium | ||
| Capacity: 16,997 | Capacity: 3,000 | ||
| Paola | Ħamrun | Xewkija | |
| Tony Bezzina Stadium | Victor Tedesco Stadium | Gozo Stadium | |
| Capacity: 2,968 | Capacity: 1,962 | Capacity: 1,644 | |
Format
The new league format, which came into being from the 2024–25 season, the Maltese Premier League will be made up of 12 teams and be split into an Opening Round and Closing Round.[20][21] The Opening Round will see each of the 12 teams play each other once before the league is then split between a Top 6 and a Bottom 6, allowing for the teams in each of those splits to play each other another time.[22] Once the ranking is set, each team will go back down to 0 points and start from scratch in the Closing Round, where the same process will be repeated.
The league champions and the teams for UEFA competitions are determined as follow:[20]
- If both the Opening Round and the Closing Round are won by the same team:
- The winners of the Opening and the Closing Rounds are declared the league champions and qualify for the UEFA Champions League;
- Second placed teams in the Opening Round and the Closing Round qualify for the UEFA Conference League;
- If the same team finishes second in both the Opening and the Closing Rounds, a playoff match between third placed teams in the Opening Round and the Closing Round is played for the remaining spot in the UEFA Conference League;
- If the champions of the Opening Round are placed second in the Closing Round, and the champions of the Closing Round are placed second in the Opening Round:
- A playoff match between the champions of the Opening and the Closing Round is played to determine the league champions;
- A playoff match between third placed teams in the Opening Round and the Closing Round is played for the remaining spot in the UEFA Conference League;
- Otherwise, a Final Four tournament between winners and runners-up of the Opening and the Closing Rounds is played (if the same team finishes second in both the Opening and the Closing Rounds, the third placed team with the best aggregate points is included in the Final Four tournament), with the teams seeded based on the aggregate points.
Opening round
First phase
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floriana | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 23 | Qualification for the Top Six |
| 2 | Ħamrun Spartans | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 22[a] | |
| 3 | Valletta | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 8 | +8 | 22[a] | |
| 4 | Sliema Wanderers | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 14 | +2 | 19 | |
| 5 | Marsaxlokk | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 11 | +3 | 18 | |
| 6 | Birkirkara | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 16 | |
| 7 | Hibernians | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 18 | +2 | 15 | Qualification for the Play-Out |
| 8 | Gżira United | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 18 | −4 | 13 | |
| 9 | Mosta | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 19 | −6 | 11 | |
| 10 | Żabbar St. Patrick | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 14 | −3 | 10 | |
| 11 | Tarxien Rainbows | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 21 | −13 | 5[b] | |
| 12 | Naxxar Lions | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | −8 | 5[b] |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).
Notes:
Results
Second phase
Top Six
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ĦAM | FLO | VAL | SLI | MAR | BIR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ħamrun Spartans (W) | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 10 | +16 | 34 | Opening Round Winners | — | — | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 6–1 | |
| 2 | Floriana | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 15 | +8 | 33 | 0–2 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | Valletta | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 11 | +9 | 29 | — | — | — | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Sliema Wanderers | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 26 | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 5 | Marsaxlokk | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 20 | 16 | +4 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | 2–1 | ||
| 6 | Birkirkara | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 22 | −7 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).
(W) Opening Round Winners
Play-Out
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation | HIB | GŻI | ZAB | MOS | NXR | TAR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Hibernians | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 29 | 25 | +4 | 23 | — | 4–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | ||
| 8 | Gżira United | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 26 | −5 | 22 | — | — | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | ||
| 9 | Żabbar St. Patrick | 16 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 22 | −2 | 16[a] | — | — | — | — | 1–2 | 2–2 | ||
| 10 | Mosta | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 26 | −6 | 16[a] | — | — | 1–1 | — | 2–3 | 2–2 | ||
| 11 | Naxxar Lions | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 25 | −7 | 15 | Opening Round Relegation | — | — | — | — | — | 1–0 | |
| 12 | Tarxien Rainbows | 16 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 29 | −16 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).
Notes:
- Head-to-head points: Żabbar St. Patrick 2; Mosta 2. Head-to-head goals: Żabbar St. Patrick 2; Mosta 2.
Closing round
First phase
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floriana | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 7 | +13 | 25 | Qualification for the Top Six |
| 2 | Ħamrun Spartans | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 22 | |
| 3 | Marsaxlokk | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 19 | |
| 4 | Naxxar Lions | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 18 | +2 | 18 | |
| 5 | Valletta | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 16 | 7 | +9 | 17[a] | |
| 6 | Gżira United | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 17[a] | |
| 7 | Sliema Wanderers | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 16 | Qualification for the Play-Out |
| 8 | Birkirkara | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 13 | |
| 9 | Hibernians | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 17 | −6 | 11 | |
| 10 | Żabbar St. Patrick | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 15 | −2 | 10 | |
| 11 | Tarxien Rainbows | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 21 | −12 | 6 | |
| 12 | Mosta | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 24 | −17 | 4 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).
Notes:
- Head-to-head points: Valletta 3; Gżira United 0.
Results
Second phase
Top Six
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | FLO | MAR | ĦAM | VAL | GŻI | NXR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floriana (W) | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 12 | +16 | 37 | Closing Round Winners | — | — | 1–4 | 2–0 | — | — | |
| 2 | Marsaxlokk | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 20 | +2 | 31 | 1–3 | — | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | ||
| 3 | Ħamrun Spartans | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 11 | +15 | 28 | — | — | — | — | 0–1 | 3–0 | ||
| 4 | Valletta | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 13 | +8 | 24 | — | — | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | — | ||
| 5 | Gżira United | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 21 | 0–1 | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | ||
| 6 | Naxxar Lions | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 26 | −3 | 20 | 0–1 | — | — | 1–1 | — | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points in regular season; 3) Head-to-head points in regular season; 4) Head-to-head goal difference in regular season; 5) Head-to-head goals scored in regular season; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored in regular season (if two teams tied); 7) Goal difference; 8) Goals scored; 9) Fair play ranking; 10) Drawing of lots.
(W) Closing Round Winners
Play-Out
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation | SLI | BIR | HIB | TAR | ZAB | MOS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Sliema Wanderers | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 16 | 17 | −1 | 22 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | |||||
| 8 | Birkirkara | 16 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 19 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | |||||
| 9 | Hibernians | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 24 | −8 | 16 | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | |||||
| 10 | Tarxien Rainbows | 16 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 29 | −10 | 15[a] | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | — | 3–3 | 2–2 | ||
| 11 | Żabbar St. Patrick | 16 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 22 | −1 | 15[a] | Closing Round Relegation | 1–1 | 3–0 | — | ||||
| 12 | Mosta | 16 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 32 | −18 | 10 | 2–2 | 2–1 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).
Notes:
- Head-to-head points: Żabbar St. Patrick 2; Tarxien Rainbows 2. Head-to-head goals: Żabbar St. Patrick 4; Tarxien Rainbows 4. Tarxien Rainbows won play-off.
Play-off 11th place
| Żabbar St. Patrick | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Tarxien Rainbows |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Aggregate table
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Floriana (C) | 32 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 51 | 27 | +24 | 70 | Qualification for the Final Four |
| 2 | Ħamrun Spartans | 32 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 52 | 21 | +31 | 62 | |
| 3 | Marsaxlokk | 32 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 42 | 36 | +6 | 56 | |
| 4 | Valletta | 32 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 41 | 24 | +17 | 53 | Qualification for the Final Four and Conference League second qualifying round[a] |
| 5 | Sliema Wanderers | 32 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 48 | |
| 6 | Gżira United | 32 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 38 | 43 | −5 | 43 | |
| 7 | Hibernians | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 45 | 49 | −4 | 39 | |
| 8 | Birkirkara | 32 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 29 | 36 | −7 | 35[b] | |
| 9 | Naxxar Lions (R) | 32 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 41 | 51 | −10 | 35[b] | Qualification for the Relegation play-off |
| 10 | Żabbar St. Patrick (O) | 32 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 41 | 44 | −3 | 31 | |
| 11 | Mosta (O) | 32 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 34 | 58 | −24 | 26 | |
| 12 | Tarxien Rainbows (R) | 32 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 32 | 58 | −26 | 22 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off relegation winner; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Valletta qualified as 2025–26 Maltese FA Trophy winners.
- Head-to-head points: Birkirkara 4, Naxxar Lions 1.
Final Four Championship
Since the Opening Round Top 2 and the Closing Round Top 2 are three different teams, there would be a Final Four play-off between the top two teams from the Opening Round, Ħamrun Spartans and Floriana, and the Closing Round, Floriana and Marsaxlokk. Since Floriana finish in top 2 in both rounds, the best third team would qualify too, Valletta.
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 9 May | ||||||
| Valletta | 0 (1) | |||||
| 16 May | ||||||
| Floriana | 0 (3) | |||||
| Floriana | 2 | |||||
| 9 May | ||||||
| Marsaxlokk | 1 | |||||
| Marsaxlokk | 2 | |||||
| Ħamrun Spartans | 1 | |||||
| Third place play-off | ||||||
| 15 May | ||||||
| Valletta | 0 | |||||
| Ħamrun Spartans | 2 | |||||
Semi-finals
| Marsaxlokk | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Ħamrun Spartans |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Third place play-off
Final
| Floriana | 2–1 | Marsaxlokk |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Relegation play-off
Since the Opening Round bottom two, Naxxar Lions and Tarxien Rainbows, and the Closing Round bottom two, Żabbar St. Patrick and Mosta, are four different teams there would be four teams participating in the relegation play-off.
| Mosta | 1–0 | Naxxar Lions |
|---|---|---|
|
| Tarxien Rainbows | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | Żabbar St. Patrick |
|---|---|---|
|
Season statistics
Scoring
Top scorers
- As of 17 August 2026[23]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamrun | 14 | |
| 2 | Valletta | 12 | |
| Gżira United | |||
| Marsaxlokk | |||
| Naxxar | |||
| 6 | Floriana | 11 | |
| Hibernians | |||
| 8 | Zabbar | 9 | |
Hat-Ricks
| Rank | Player | Club | Played Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asumah Abukabar | Birkirkara | vs Tarxien Ranbows |
| 2 | Andrea Zammit | Valletta | vs Mosta |
Discipline
Hibernians has been the most disciplined in the league, with only 55 yellow cards, compared to Birkirkara, who have 56 yellow cards.
| Rank | Team | Red Cards | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birkirkara | 6 | Donovan Mankoma (vs Gżira United, 23 August 2025), Kurt Zammit (vs Sliema Wanderers, 16 September 2025), Kurt Zammit (vs Hamrun Spartans, 1 November 2025), Miguel Ángel Martínez (vs Sliema Wanderers, 23 November 2025) |
| 2 | Floriana | 4 | Zachary Scerri (vs Tarxien, 23 August 2025), Charles M'Mombwa (vs Valletta, 16 September 2025 and vs Valletta, 10 January 2026), Matteja Veselji (vs Valletta, 16 September 2025) |
| 2 | Gżira United | 4 | Clayton Failla (vs Naxxar Lions, 3 November 2025), David Xuereb (vs Naxxar Lions, 3 November 2025), Mihajlo Stojanović (vs Tarxien Ranbows, 31 January 2026), Kante (vs Tarxien Ranbows, 31 January 2026) |
| 2 | Sliema Wanderers | 4 | Rashed Al-Tumi (vs Naxxar Lions, 28 September 2025), Murilo Henrique (vs Valletta, 14 December 2025), Gustavo Alcino (vs Floriana, 20 December 2025), Dejan Đurić (vs Hibernians, 15 January 2026), Francisco Lopez (vs Gżira United, 25 January 2026) |
| 3 | Hamrun Spartans | 3 | Semir Smajlagič (vs Sliema Wanderers, 5 October 2025), Edeson (vs Floriana, 29 October 2025) |
| 3 | Valletta | 3 | Jefferson De Assis (vs Sliema Wanderers, 14 December 2025), Sava Radić (vs Marsaxlokk, 20 December 2025), Diego Taraves (vs Floriana, 10 January 2026) |
| 3 | Zabbar St Patrick's | 3 | Youngwon Im (vs Hibernians, 24 August 2025), Brian Gambarte (vs Tarxien Rainbows, 24 November 2025), Mayron Marques (vs Hibernians, 18 December 2025) |
| 3 | Mosta | 3 | Giancarlo (vs Marsaxlokk, 17 August 2025), Chunkwuemeka Eka (vs Sliema Wanderers, 22 August 2025), Quelmer Hurtado (vs Birkirkara, 21 September 2025) |