The Malta men’s National team has risen five places in the latest FIFA World Rankings, making them one of the biggest climbers in the most recent update released on Wednesday, 19 November 2025.

Malta now stands 161st in the world following an exceptional international window. The team achieved a historic 1-0 victory away to Finland in Helsinki, a result that stunned observers across Europe. Days later, Malta delivered another resilient performance at the National Stadium in Ta’ Qali, narrowly losing 1-0 to Poland after matching the European giants for long periods of the match.

Malta is one of four nations to climb five places in this month’s rankings. Uzbekistan (50th), the Philippines (136th), and Turkmenistan (137th) also recorded identical rises. Despite Malta remaining fifth from the bottom among European national teams, the gap has closed significantly with those just ahead in the standings namely Moldova (158th), Lithuania (146th), and Latvia (140th). Conversely, Malta has further widened the distance from the teams below them, including Andorra (172nd), Gibraltar (202nd), Liechtenstein (205th), and San Marino (210th).

These November fixtures marked the conclusion of Malta’s FIFA World Cup European qualifying campaign. Coach Emilio De Leo and his squad will now shift their focus to the crucial UEFA Nations League Play-offs, where they will face Luxembourg in March 2026.