Netherlands vs Malta

The Netherlands will continue their journey toward the 2026 World Cup as they host Malta at Groningen’s Eurborg Stadium for Tuesday’s qualifier matchup.

The Oranje kicked off their qualifying campaign with a strong performance in Finland on Saturday, while Malta, their upcoming opponents, have struggled, earning just one point from their first three Group G matches.

Following a penalty shootout loss to Spain in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals in March, the Netherlands are now fully focused on securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup. Having reached four of the last five World Cup finals, Ronald Koeman’s squad is expected to navigate a group that includes Poland, Finland, Lithuania, and Malta with relative ease.

The Dutch began their qualifiers in Helsinki, where goals from Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries in the first half sealed a 2-0 win, snapping a five-game winless streak. Now, they face Malta for the first time since a 4-0 rout in October 1995 during Euro 2026 qualifying. The Netherlands have a flawless record against Malta, winning all six prior encounters without conceding and scoring at least four goals in five of those games.

The Oranje also draw confidence from their strong home form, having won six and drawn two of their last eight home internationals since a defeat to France in October 2023 during European Championship qualifying.

Malta, meanwhile, come into the match after a solid UEFA Nations League campaign in 2024-25, where they earned seven points from four matches to finish second and secure a promotion/relegation playoff spot against Luxembourg in March 2026. However, their World Cup qualifying efforts have been less impressive. As the lowest-ranked team in Group G, Malta’s primary aim is to compete in challenging fixtures rather than realistically targeting their first major tournament.

The Reds suffered losses in their opening qualifiers in March, falling 1-0 at home to Finland and 2-0 away to Poland. They managed a goalless draw against Lithuania at home on Saturday, earning their second clean sheet in three home internationals but remaining at the bottom of Group G with five matches to go.

Malta face a daunting task against the Netherlands, particularly as they’ve failed to score in their last four outings, making it unlikely they’ll trouble the hosts in Tuesday’s clash.