The 2026–27 Maltese Premier League (referred to as the VBet Malta Premier for sponsorship reasons) is the 112th season of top-flight league football in Malta. The season began on 17 August 2026. Floriana entered the season as the defending champions having won their 27th Premier League title in the previous season.
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 Birzebbuga Balzan Relegated to the Challenge League Naxxar Lions Tarxien Rainbows
Locations +TeamIn league sinceCityLast Season Position Balzan2026Balzan1st in the BOV Challenge LeagueBirkirkara1990Birkirkara8thBirżebbuġa St. Peter's 2026Birżebbuġa2nd in the BOV Challenge LeagueFloriana1986Floriana1st, Defending Champions Gżira United2016Gżira6thĦamrun Spartans2016Ħamrun3rdHibernians1945Paola7thMarsaxlokk2022Marsaxlokk2ndMosta2011Mosta11thSliema Wanderers2023Sliema5thValletta2025Valletta4thŻabbar St. Patrick2024Żabbar10th
Personnel and kits
Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor (front)Balzan Andrew Cohen Joma Falcotrans Birkirkara Paul Zammit MacronMcDonald'sBirżebbuġa St. Peter's Edgar Degabriele ErimaMontekristo EstateFloriana Daniel Portela ErreaGżira United Darren Abdilla GivovaAcomodel SofaĦamrun Spartans Stefano Sanderra JomaMercuryHibernians Tuğberk Tanrıvermiş JomaBezzinaMarsaxlokk Enzo Potenza NikeSports DirectMosta Joseph Grech MacronSimply CleanSliema Wanderers Branko Nišević AdidasBetssonValletta Thane Micallef NikeInialaŻabbar St. Patrick Gilbert Agius AdidasThe Shoreline Additionally, referee kits are made by Macron
Venues
The matches are being 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 are 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 In the current format (since 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. In the Opening Round each of the 12 teams play each other once before the league is then split into a Top 6 and a Bottom 6, each team playing the neams in their split a further time. Points are reset and not carried forward to the Closing Round.
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
Season Statistics Goalscorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Oluwatobiloba Dimeji Awosanya Balzan4 Franklin Olanitori Sasere Birkirkara 2 8 players from 4 teams3
Goal of the Week
MatchweekPlayerClubAgainstMW1 Giancarlo Goncalves Mosta Hamrun Spartans MW2 Rasmus Linden Marsaxlokk Hibernians MW3 Ulises Jesús Arias Marsaxlokk Valletta MW4 Fernandinho Birkirkara SliemaMW5 Federico Varela Floriana Marsaxlokk MW6 Federico Varela Floriana Hibernians
Hat-Tricks PlayerClubAgainstFinal ScoreBruno GomesValletta Birżebbuġa St. Peter's 3–0
Clean Sheets RankPlayerClub Clean Sheet1Guilherme Cioletti Ferriera Da SilvaFloriana3 Adilson Aguero Dos SantosValletta
Birkirkara as a team also kept 3 clean sheets bet they play two different goalkeepers over the period as Rashid Al-Tumi was sent off against Sliema Wanderers.
Discipline
Gallery
References