The 2025–26 Maltese Premier League (referred to as the YoHealth Malta Premier for sponsorship reasons) was the 111th season of top-flight league football in Malta. The season began on 16 August 2025 and concluded with the final of the final four on 16 May 2026. Ħamrun Spartans entered the season as defending champions having won their eleventh Premier League title in the previous season, their third consecutive one.
Teams Twelve teams are competing in the league: the top ten teams from the previous season and two teams promoted from the Challenge League.
Changes from the previous season
Promoted to the Premier League Valletta Tarxien Rainbows
Relegated to the Challenge League Melita Balzan
Locations
Team In league since City Birkirkara 1990 Birkirkara Floriana 1986 Floriana Gżira United 2016 Gżira Ħamrun Spartans 2016 Ħamrun Hibernians 1945 Paola Marsaxlokk 2022 Marsaxlokk Mosta 2011 Mosta Naxxar Lions 2023 Naxxar Sliema Wanderers 2023 Sliema Tarxien Rainbows 2025 Tarxien Valletta 2025 Valletta Żabbar St. Patrick 2024 Żabbar
Personnel and kits
Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor (front) Shirt sponsor (back) Shirt sponsor (sleeve)Birkirkara Gianluca Festa NikeMcDonald'sInter Sport Floriana Daniel Portela ErreaBoggiGo & Fun Gżira United Darren Abdilla ErreaMiracles Food Ħamrun Spartans Giacomo Modica PumaHibernians Branko Nišević JomaBezzinaMarsaxlokk Enzo Potenza Errea1padelMr. Fitz Restaurant Marsaxlokk Mosta Joseph Grech MacronSimply CleanNaxxar Lions Winston Muscat JomaVC Service StationSliema Wanderers Pablo Doffo AdidasTarxien Rainbows Jacques Scerri ErreaCassarValletta Thane Micallef NikeInialaIntersportŻabbar St. Patrick Aniello Parisi AdidasThe Shoreline Additionally, referee kits are made by Macron
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentBirkirkara Stefano De AngelisSacked29 August 20258th Gianluca Festa14 September 2025Gżira United Clive MizziResigned28 September 202512th Darren Abdilla29 September 2025Naxxar Lions George VellaResigned14 December 202512th Winston Muscat15 December 2025Sliema Wanderers Paul ZammitMutual Consent5 January 20263rd Pablo Doffo7 January 2026
Venues
The matches will be played mainly at the Ta' Qali National Stadium and the Tony Bezzina Stadium. However, the Centenary Stadium, the Gozo Stadium and the Victor Tedesco Stadium will be used for other matches.
Ta' Qali Ta' Qali National Stadium Centenary Stadium Capacity: 16,997 Capacity: 3,000 Paola Ħamrun Xewkija Tony Bezzina Stadium Victor Tedesco Stadium Gozo Stadium Capacity: 2,968 Capacity: 1,962 Capacity: 1,644
Format The new league format, which came into being from the 2024–25 season, the Maltese Premier League will be made up of 12 teams and be split into an Opening Round and Closing Round. The Opening Round will see each of the 12 teams play each other once before the league is then split between a Top 6 and a Bottom 6, allowing for the teams in each of those splits to play each other another time. Once the ranking is set, each team will go back down to 0 points and start from scratch in the Closing Round, where the same process will be repeated.
The league champions and the teams for UEFA competitions are determined as follow: If both the Opening Round and the Closing Round are won by the same team: The winners of the Opening and the Closing Rounds are declared the league champions and qualify for the UEFA Champions League; Second placed teams in the Opening Round and the Closing Round qualify for the UEFA Conference League; If the same team finishes second in both the Opening and the Closing Rounds, a playoff match between third placed teams in the Opening Round and the Closing Round is played for the remaining spot in the UEFA Conference League; If the champions of the Opening Round are placed second in the Closing Round, and the champions of the Closing Round are placed second in the Opening Round: A playoff match between the champions of the Opening and the Closing Round is played to determine the league champions; A playoff match between third placed teams in the Opening Round and the Closing Round is played for the remaining spot in the UEFA Conference League; Otherwise, a Final Four tournament between winners and runners-up of the Opening and the Closing Rounds is played (if the same team finishes second in both the Opening and the Closing Rounds, the third placed team with the best aggregate points is included in the Final Four tournament), with the teams seeded based on the aggregate points.
Opening round First phase League table
Results
Second phase Top Six
Play-Out
Closing round First phase League table
Results
Second phase Top Six
Play-Out
Play-off 11th place
Aggregate table League table
Final Four Championship Since the Opening Round Top 2 and the Closing Round Top 2 are three different teams, there would be a Final Four play-off between the top two teams from the Opening Round, Ħamrun Spartans and Floriana, and the Closing Round, Floriana and Marsaxlokk. Since Floriana finish in top 2 in both rounds, the best third team would qualify too, Valletta. Bracket
Semi-finals
Third place play-off
Final
Relegation play-off Since the Opening Round bottom two, Naxxar Lions and Tarxien Rainbows, and the Closing Round bottom two, Żabbar St. Patrick and Mosta, are four different teams there would be four teams participating in the relegation play-off.
Season statistics Scoring Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Joseph MbongHamrun142 YuriValletta12 Prince EmmanuelGżira United DodoMarsaxlokk VitinhoNaxxar6 Jake GrechFloriana11 Lucas VillelaHibernians8 Mario FontanellaZabbar9
Hat-Ricks
RankPlayerClubPlayed Against1Asumah AbukabarBirkirkara vs Tarxien Ranbows 2Andrea Zammit Valletta vs Mosta
Discipline Hibernians has been the most disciplined in the league, with only 55 yellow cards, compared to Birkirkara, who have 56 yellow cards.
RankTeamRed CardsPlayers1Birkirkara6Donovan Mankoma (vs Gżira United, 23 August 2025), Kurt Zammit (vs Sliema Wanderers, 16 September 2025), Kurt Zammit (vs Hamrun Spartans, 1 November 2025), Miguel Ángel Martínez (vs Sliema Wanderers, 23 November 2025)2Floriana 4 Zachary Scerri (vs Tarxien, 23 August 2025), Charles M'Mombwa (vs Valletta, 16 September 2025 and vs Valletta, 10 January 2026), Matteja Veselji (vs Valletta, 16 September 2025)2Gżira United 4Clayton Failla (vs Naxxar Lions, 3 November 2025), David Xuereb (vs Naxxar Lions, 3 November 2025), Mihajlo Stojanović (vs Tarxien Ranbows, 31 January 2026), Kante (vs Tarxien Ranbows, 31 January 2026) 2Sliema Wanderers 4Rashed Al-Tumi (vs Naxxar Lions, 28 September 2025), Murilo Henrique (vs Valletta, 14 December 2025), Gustavo Alcino (vs Floriana, 20 December 2025), Dejan Đurić (vs Hibernians, 15 January 2026), Francisco Lopez (vs Gżira United, 25 January 2026)3Hamrun Spartans 3Semir Smajlagič (vs Sliema Wanderers, 5 October 2025), Edeson (vs Floriana, 29 October 2025)3Valletta 3Jefferson De Assis (vs Sliema Wanderers, 14 December 2025), Sava Radić (vs Marsaxlokk, 20 December 2025), Diego Taraves (vs Floriana, 10 January 2026)3Zabbar St Patrick's3Youngwon Im (vs Hibernians, 24 August 2025), Brian Gambarte (vs Tarxien Rainbows, 24 November 2025), Mayron Marques (vs Hibernians, 18 December 2025)3Mosta3Giancarlo (vs Marsaxlokk, 17 August 2025), Chunkwuemeka Eka (vs Sliema Wanderers, 22 August 2025), Quelmer Hurtado (vs Birkirkara, 21 September 2025)
See also 2025–26 Maltese Challenge League 2025–26 Maltese National Amateur League 2025–26 Maltese National Amateur League II 2025–26 Maltese FA Trophy
References