ENCAMP, Andorra, September 24, 2026: Malta needed two players to perform the same trick in reverse.
Teddy Teuma created Irvin Cardona’s equalizer in the first half. Cardona returned the favor late in the second, setting up Teuma for the goal that completed Malta’s 2-1 comeback against Andorra in their opening UEFA Nations League match.
Guillaume Lopez had given Andorra a 17th-minute lead at Estadi de la FAF, putting the hosts in position to disrupt a fixture Malta had controlled narrowly in the previous Nations League cycle. Cardona leveled in the 36th minute before Teuma struck in the 81st to send Malta to the top of League D Group 1 with three points.
The result gives Malta an immediate advantage in a three-team section that also includes Gibraltar, but the most revealing part of the night was the partnership that decided it. Cardona and Teuma each finished with a goal and an assist, turning the match through two combinations involving the same pair of players.
Story at a glance
Lopez Gave Andorra the Start They Needed
Andorra knew what recent history looked like against Malta.
Irvin Cardona Changes the Direction of the Match
Cardona’s 36th-minute equalizer carried more value than simply restoring parity.
Teddy Teuma Turns Provider Into Match-Winner
The winning move inverted the first Malta goal.
Malta Had a Chance to Finish the Match Earlier
The score could have become 3-1 four minutes after Teuma’s winner.
Andorra’s Discipline Made the Task Harder
Andorra remained competitive until the final whistle, but the amount of defensive work required came with a cost.
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TL;DR
- Malta beat Andorra 2-1 in their opening 2026-27 UEFA Nations League match.
- Guillaume Lopez gave Andorra the lead in the 17th minute.
- Irvin Cardona equalized in the 36th minute from Teddy Teuma’s assist.
- Cardona then assisted Teuma for Malta’s 81st-minute winner.
- Ilyas Chouaref missed an 85th-minute penalty that could have made it 3-1.
- Malta begin League D Group 1 with three points.
- Group D1 also contains Gibraltar.
- Malta’s next Nations League fixture is at home against Gibraltar on October 1.
Andorra vs Malta: Match at a Glance
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | 2026-27 UEFA Nations League |
| League / Group | League D, Group 1 |
| Result | Andorra 1-2 Malta |
| Venue | Estadi de la FAF, Encamp |
| Andorra scorer | Guillaume Lopez 17′ |
| Malta scorers | Irvin Cardona 36′, Teddy Teuma 81′ |
| Halftime | 1-1 |
| Missed penalty | Ilyas Chouaref, Malta, 85′ |
| Malta points | 3 |
Lopez Gave Andorra the Start They Needed
Andorra knew what recent history looked like against Malta.
The teams met twice in the previous Nations League edition, and Malta won both matches 1-0. UEFA highlighted those two narrow defeats before Thursday’s rematch, giving Andorra a simple challenge: score first and force Malta into a different type of game.
Lopez did exactly that after 17 minutes.
His left-footed finish put Andorra ahead and created the possibility of a match built around compact defending, physical resistance and Malta having to chase spaces rather than protect them.
For almost 20 minutes, that plan held.
Then Malta’s two most influential attacking figures found each other.
Irvin Cardona Changes the Direction of the Match
Cardona’s 36th-minute equalizer carried more value than simply restoring parity.
Teuma supplied the pass and Cardona finished with his right foot, removing the possibility that Andorra could take their lead into halftime and spend the second half defending it.
The equalizer also continued Cardona’s increasingly important role for Malta. He had already scored against Poland during World Cup qualifying, and Malta included the Saint-Étienne forward in Emilio De Leo’s squad for this extended international window.
The larger lesson was visible in his movement. Cardona did not dominate the match through constant involvement. He influenced the actions that mattered most.
That distinction became even clearer after halftime.
Teddy Teuma Turns Provider Into Match-Winner
The winning move inverted the first Malta goal.
Cardona, scorer of the equalizer, became the creator. Teuma, who had assisted Cardona, became the finisher.
In the 81st minute, Cardona laid the ball into Teuma’s path and the midfielder finished low to complete the comeback.
That exchange made the pair responsible for both Malta goals through direct involvement.
Cardona finished with one goal and one assist. Teuma finished with one goal and one assist.
For an international side with limited preparation time, combinations like that can become particularly valuable. National-team coaches cannot build attacking relationships through the daily repetition available at club level. The challenge of translating ideas quickly is something TSE also examined when Xavi Hernández took charge of the Netherlands ahead of this Nations League campaign.
Malta found its decisive relationship without needing weeks to develop it.
Malta Had a Chance to Finish the Match Earlier
The score could have become 3-1 four minutes after Teuma’s winner.
Andorra conceded a penalty in the 85th minute, giving Ilyas Chouaref the opportunity to remove most of the remaining tension. He sent the spot kick off target.
That miss gave Andorra a final route back into the contest, but Malta managed the closing minutes and protected the lead.
Post-match data also points toward Malta producing the stronger attacking performance. Sofascore recorded 59 percent possession for the visitors and a considerable advantage in expected goals, while goalkeeper Iker Álvarez made six saves to keep Andorra within one goal.
The complete statistical breakdown is available through Sofascore’s Andorra-Malta match analysis.
Andorra’s Discipline Made the Task Harder
Andorra remained competitive until the final whistle, but the amount of defensive work required came with a cost.
They committed 24 fouls and collected five yellow cards. That interrupted Malta’s rhythm at times, but it also repeatedly handed possession back to the visitors and made it difficult for the hosts to build sustained pressure after losing the lead.
Malta did not need overwhelming territorial dominance to win. They needed better execution in the moments that separated the teams.
Cardona and Teuma provided it.
Why This Nations League Win Has an Unusual Meaning
This edition of League D carries a structural twist.
UEFA is moving the Nations League from four leagues to three beginning in 2028-29. Under the transition plan, the current League D teams will move into League C when the new structure begins.
That means Malta’s victory should not be viewed only through the old promotion model. Group position still matters for the Nations League ranking, the competitive trajectory of the team and the wider European international cycle.
UEFA’s official 2026-27 Nations League guide explains the transition and the competition’s revised promotion and relegation structure.
The tournament also feeds directly into the period leading toward Euro 2028. For Europe’s leading nations, Nations League matches have become an important part of longer national-team cycles. TSE recently examined how Spain tied Luis de la Fuente’s future to the next Nations League, Euro and World Cup cycles.
Portugal provide another example of what the competition has grown into. Cristiano Ronaldo’s international résumé includes Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025, a period covered in TSE’s full examination of Ronaldo’s international legacy.
Malta Now Control the First Move in Group D1
League D Group 1 contains only Malta, Andorra and Gibraltar. Each team plays four matches, home and away against the other two nations.
The official UEFA fixture list confirms that Malta next face Gibraltar on October 1 before hosting Andorra on October 4.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malta | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| Gibraltar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andorra | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
For Andorra, the turnaround is quick. They visit Gibraltar on September 27 before facing Malta again on October 4.
For Malta, the opening win changes the pressure immediately. Instead of chasing the group after conceding first in Encamp, they return home with three points and evidence that their most experienced creative players can decide a tight international match together.
The Bigger International Cycle Has Already Started
The Nations League arrives only months after the 2026 World Cup, making this international window the first meaningful reset for many European teams.
TSE’s complete World Cup 2026 coverage schedule tracked the tournament that closed the previous cycle. Several of its defining European stories now feed directly into the next one.
Spain entered this Nations League campaign after ending Portugal’s World Cup run with a stoppage-time winner and later beating France to reach the final. Portugal had reached that Spain clash through a dramatic knockout victory over Croatia.
Malta and Andorra operate at a different level of European football, but the basic question is the same.
What can a national team build before the next major qualifying cycle takes shape?
Malta’s first answer came from Cardona and Teuma.
Continue the Soccer Story
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Andorra vs Malta score?
Malta beat Andorra 2-1 in their opening 2026-27 UEFA Nations League match.
Who scored for Malta against Andorra?
Irvin Cardona scored Malta’s equalizer in the 36th minute before Teddy Teuma scored the winning goal in the 81st.
Who scored for Andorra?
Guillaume Lopez opened the scoring for Andorra in the 17th minute.
Who was Malta’s key player?
Irvin Cardona directly contributed to both Malta goals, scoring the equalizer and assisting Teuma’s winner. Teuma also finished with one goal and one assist.
Did Malta miss a penalty?
Yes. Ilyas Chouaref missed a penalty in the 85th minute with Malta already leading 2-1.
Which Nations League group are Malta and Andorra in?
Malta and Andorra compete with Gibraltar in UEFA Nations League League D, Group 1.
How many Nations League group matches will Malta play?
Malta play four group matches because League D Group 1 contains three teams. Each nation plays the other two teams once at home and once away.
Who do Malta play next in the Nations League?
Malta’s next Nations League match is at home against Gibraltar on October 1, 2026.
