Finland starts futsal European Championship qualifiers in Malta – follow live | Sports in a nutshell

The men’s national futsal team will face Malta in their opening match of the European Championship qualifiers starting at 20:00. The match will be broadcast live in Areena.

Tiny Malta is not a well-known football country, but the year 2024 was historically successful for its national futsal team.

In April, the team reached a big milestone in the early rounds of the EC qualifiers when they beat Scotland 4–1. After that, Malta beat Gibraltar and even Switzerland after that.

The Finnish futsal team is known for its strong pressing game and disciplined defense. However, these are not necessarily the best positions to strike against Malta

Jani Korpela expects the team to play actively and versatile in the attack end.

– As early favorites, we have to control the ball and rhythm the game smartly, but at the same time keep the tempo high. The goal is to constantly create pressure on Malta’s defense with quick ball movement and active runs without the ball, Korpela line on Pallloiito’s website.

According to Korpela, the key to victory lies in concentration and efficiency.

– It is important that we keep the focus on the right spot throughout the match and finish from the spots clinically. Through my own role, I try to bring solutions to the attack, whether it’s about the last passes, shots or the structuring of situations.

In addition, Italy and Belarus will play in group 2 of the Main Round phase of the 2026 European Championship qualifiers. After the group stage, the ten group winners advance directly to the 2026 European Championship final tournament, which will be played in Latvia and Lithuania.

The top eight from the second group will advance to the playoffs in September 2025, when two-part playoffs will be played, with the winners completing the 16-team schedule for the final tournament.

In the spring, Finland was out of the World Cup after losing a penalty shootout against the Netherlands in the decisive match. The European Championship qualifiers bring a new beginning.

The match will be followed on this page and the story will be completed during the evening.