Malta-Gibraltar, two national teams and one footballing origin

On Thursday, 1 October, Malta and Gibraltar will face each other in League D of the Nations League, a clash between two small footballing entities with surprisingly similar histories. Both were introduced to this game through the British presence in the Mediterranean. It was the military that brought football to Malta and Gibraltar, and it gradually transformed from entertainment into a popular phenomenon.

On the island south of Italy, the first chapter of the story dates precisely to 1882, when the first match was played between soldiers of the British garrison and members of the Royal Engineers. It was soldiers serving the Crown in one of the main Mediterranean territories who brought football to Malta. And it was precisely from inter-unit matches to increasingly popular matches against locals that interest in this sport was born. The game gradually moved beyond the barracks, finding its place in the island’s sporting life.

Growth was rapid. Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, football began to take shape with teams and competitions. The Malta Football Association was founded in 1900, while the first national championship was played between 1909 and 1910. The link with its British roots continued, even though football gradually became ever more integral to Maltese sporting identity. Two very important dates for the island were 1959 and 1960, when it joined FIFA and UEFA respectively.

In Gibraltar too, football was brought by the British armed forces. Introduced in the 19th century, its spread initially occurred through matches played between soldiers of the garrison itself. However, the first civilian clubs arrived quickly. Prince of Wales FC was founded in 1892, and Gibraltar FC the following year. The population’s greatest interest has always been to move the game away from the military context.

Another symbolic date is 1895, when the Gibraltar Civilian Football Association was founded (the predecessor of the modern GFA), one of the oldest football associations in the world. However, for many years, domestic football remained linked to the military presence, with matches played between civilian and garrison teams. The first championship was created in 1907. More than a century later, Gibraltar has been able to enter the international football radar: in 2013 it joined UEFA and in 2016 FIFA.