Malta women await Euro 2025 qualifying draw ahead of historic League B debut

Malta’s historic journey in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifications will take form this afternoon when they discover their opponents in the draw to be held in Nyon.

Led by coach Manuela Tesse, crowned Coach of the Year by the Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sport on Saturday, the Maltese selection will be featuring in League B for the first time ever and is expected to face some of Europe’s best teams.

In last year’s inaugural edition of the UEFA Women’s Nations League, Malta topped its League C group with five wins and a draw to move up into Europe’s second tier – an achievement which earned them the award of Team of the Year by the Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sport for the second time.

The European qualifications for women’s teams work differently than the men’s as the qualified teams are determined through a Nations League format rather than the traditional qualifying system used in their counterparts.

Between April and July, teams are split into three leagues based on their UEFA Women’s Nations League rankings.

The 16 teams ranked 17th to 32nd, including Malta, enter League B.

Malta, ranked 29th, will be drawn from Pot 4 alongside Israel, Kosovo, and Azerbaijan – all promoted from League C.

Tesse’s side will be playing a total of six games – three on home soil and the other away.

For qualifying itself, the top two teams in each League A group will gain places in the July 2025 finals alongside hosts Switzerland (who will compete in League B although their automatic qualification is assured).

The remaining seven spots will be decided by two rounds of play-offs in October and November/December.

In the first round of the play-offs, the four group winners and the two best-ranked runners-up in League B will play against the remaining two runners-up and the four third-placed teams of the same tier.

Final tournament

The six winners progress to the second round in which the teams that progressed from League A and/or League C will take on the League B sides in seven ties.

The seven winners will advance to the final tournament.

In terms of promotion and relegation ahead of the 2025/2027 UEFA Women’s Nations League cycle, the League B winners will climb into the top tier while the runners-up and three best-ranked third teams of League B will stay in the second tier.

All fourth-placed teams in League B, as well as the lowest-ranked third-placed team of this division, will be relegated to League C.

Malta’s opening two games are scheduled for April 3 and 9 before they play the rest in May, June, and July.

The draw for the play-off will be then held in July before the actual matches take place between October and December to complete the whole picture of next year’s European Championships which will take place between July 2 and 27 in Switzerland.

LEAGUE B POTS

POT 1: Portugal, Switzerland (hosts), Scotland, Wales.

POT 2: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary.

POT 3: Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Ukraine, Turkey.

POT 4: Malta, Israel, Kosovo, Azerbaijan.