Malta vs Finland Predictions

• Finland are ranked 99 places above Malta
• Malta failed to pick up a single point in their last World Cup qualifying campaign
• Finland picked up 12 points in their last World Cup qualifying campaign

Finland expected to dominate Malta

Malta and Finland meet in the opening round of fixtures for the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers. Neither nation has ever qualified for a World Cup, with both falling short of the standard required to compete at that level.

Malta endured a miserable qualifying campaign last time, failing to collect a single point in eight matches. While the Nations League has provided them with occasional success, their wins have come against low-ranked opposition, with a victory over 171st-ranked Andorra being their most notable result since 2023.

Finland, ranked 69th in the world, managed 12 points in their last World Cup qualifying campaign, winning three and drawing two. Although their recent form has been inconsistent, they were in a tough Nations League group. When facing teams of Malta’s level, Finland tend to dominate, as seen in their comfortable wins over San Marino and Estonia in Euro 2024 qualifying.

At odds of 8/13, Finland’s price doesn’t fully reflect the gulf in quality between the two sides, offering potential value in the betting market