Euro 2024

[monks data]

Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage

Nov 17, 2023 at 7.45pm UK

Wembley Stadium

England vs. Malta: Head-to-head record and past meetings

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 20h

Ahead of Friday's Euro Champ Qualifying clash between England and Malta, Sports Mole looks at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two clubs.

For the final time in Euro 2024 qualifying, England take to the Wembley turf on Friday evening, as Gareth Southgate's troops meet Malta in their penultimate Group C contest.

The Three Lions have already confirmed a place in next year's competition as group winners, although they are still after maximum points against Malta and North Macedonia to ensure a spot in Pot 1 of the draw.

In contrast, their visitors will be left to look back on another pitiful campaign, having failed to take a single point from their seven clashes so far, and they have already been consigned to a fifth-placed finish.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates scoring for England on June 16, 2023 © Reuters

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 6
England wins: 6
Draws: 0
Malta wins: 0

Six times England and Malta have locked horns down the years - doing battle in World Cup qualifiers, Euros qualifiers and an international friendly - and it will come as no surprise whatsoever to learn that England have come up trumps in all of them.

In the process, the Three Lions have come up with 18 goals against the minnows - averaging three per game - while only letting in one themselves, and June's trip to Ta' Qali ended with England running out 4-0 winners, although they did require two penalties from Callum Wilson and Harry Kane to make the scoreline so emphatic.

An identical scoreline was displayed on the top-left hand corner of the screen during a World Cup 2018 qualifier, where Kane netted another brace alongside strikes from Danny Welbeck and Ryan Bertrand, although Malta did enter the half-time break with their clean sheet intact before the onslaught began.

The only meeting between the two sides at the new Wembley so far came earlier in that qualifying campaign in October 2016, which saw Dele Alli and Daniel Sturridge propel England to victory in Southgate's first game in charge of his country.

Prior to that straightforward success, England were handed a scare on Maltese territory in a 2000 friendly, where this week's visitors scored their first and only goal to date against the Three Lions, who had drawn first blood through a Martin Keown header.

Kevin Keegan's men only held onto their advantage for nine minutes though, as David Carabott's retaken penalty struck the post and hit the back of the hapless Richard Wright before trickling over the line, but Emile Heskey was England's saviour off the bench 15 minutes from time.

With Wright being credited with the own goal, Malta are still yet to see one of their own score against England, whose dominance in this fixture began 52 years ago during qualifying for Euro 1972.

Sir Alf Ramsey was in charge for that double-header, which saw a Martin Peters goal give England a 1-0 win in their maiden meeting in February 1971, three months before the 1966 World Cup winners thrashed Malta 5-0 at the old Wembley on a day where Martin Chivers bagged a brace.

Previous meetings

Jun 16, 2023: Malta 0-4 England (Euro Champ Qualifying Group Stage)
Sep 01, 2017: Malta 0-4 England (World Cup Qualifying - Europe Group Stage)
Oct 08, 2016: England 2-0 Malta (World Cup Qualifying - Europe Group Stage)
Jun 3, 2000: Malta 1-2 England (International Friendly)
May 12, 1971: England 5-0 Malta (Euro Champ Qualifying Group Stage)
Feb 03, 1971: Malta 0-1 England (Euro Champ Qualifying Group Stage)