Did you know that Malta is a kind of mini-Hollywood, you won't find any forests or rivers, but all the more churches? Here are 11 facts about Malta, the women's national team's upcoming World Cup qualifying opponents.
On Saturday, the Swiss women's national team will play Malta away as part of the World Cup qualifiers. The goal is clear: three points. It's a mere formality, but the Swiss will have to be focused, because Malta are no cucumber team. They lost 7-0 to Denmark in the World Cup qualifiers in September 2021, but since then they have played 40 games and only conceded more than three goals once.
On Tuesday, Malta lost their World Cup qualifying opener against Turkey 0:3. An insurmountable defensive bulwark looks very different. If Switzerland want to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil, Malta must definitely not be a stumbling block.
The Swiss women's team's match schedule
- Switzerland - Northern Ireland 2:0
- Malta - Switzerland, March 7
- Switzerland - Turkey, April 14
- Turkey - Switzerland, April 18
- Switzerland - Malta, June 5
- Northern Ireland - Switzerland, June 9
As a football fan, you probably already knew that Malta is a classic points supplier. But here are some facts about Malta that you may never have heard of.
This is how safe Malta is
Malta, with a population of around 570,000, is considered one of the safest countries in the world. The crime rate is record low. However, caution is advised in tourist areas with large crowds, including or especially the party districts. On the one hand, pickpockets are up to mischief there and there have also been reports of knockout drops being mixed into partygoers' drinks. Malta and Switzerland hardly differ in terms of security.
359 churches for 365 days
There are said to be 359 churches in Malta, which is why the Maltese like to joke that they have a church for every day of the year. Many of them are real gems and well worth a visit. Only the prayers of the local football fans hardly ever seem to be answered.
No forests, no rivers
There are actually no forests or rivers in Malta. But who needs all that when you have the sea and its beaches right on your doorstep? Malta is also very popular with divers.
Filming location for many movies
Malta is an extremely popular location for film productions and is considered a mini-Hollywood in the Mediterranean. Scenes for "Gladiator", "Troy", "Game of Thrones", "World War Z", "By the Sea" and at least 300 other films have been shot in Malta.
Trilingual Maltese
Maltese, the national language of Malta, originated from an Arabic dialect and is therefore a Semitic language. Unlike all other Semitic languages, however, it is written using the Latin alphabet. English is also the second official language. Until the 1990s, there were no English-language TV stations in Malta, although there were Italian ones. This is one reason why many Maltese speak three languages fluently.
Car freaks and left-hand traffic
Over 300,000 cars are registered in Malta, which means that just over one in two people own a car. This leads to traffic problems, especially in the cities. The government is working on various initiatives to relieve traffic congestion. These include promoting car-sharing services and improving public transport. Good to know: In Malta, traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road, which is exactly the opposite of how it does here.
Anti-pee bottles
Pet bottles filled with water are placed in front of many house walls and entrances. This is to prevent dogs and cats from peeing in these places as they are disturbed by the reflecting sunlight. The method is widespread and has been for generations. Does the trick really work? There is hardly any scientific evidence for the effectiveness of this measure, but apparently it does seem to work. At least there is a belief in it.
Eurovision Song Contest
Missing out on the Eurovision Song Contest is out of the question for the Maltese. The small country has been taking part in this major competition since 1971. Whether grandpa, mom, architect, doctor, sculptor, teenager, fisherman or kindergarten teacher, they all sit somewhere in front of the TV and sing along to the songs. And this despite the fact that Malta is not even that successful. They came second and third once, but that was years ago, and in recent years they have often failed to reach the semi-finals. If you want to know more: Wikipedia lists all of Malta's rankings.
Flat despite the cliffs
Malta may have beautiful cliffs, but the island is so flat that Lia Wälti's corner kick before the 1-0 win against Northern Ireland would have been seen all over the country. The highest point is just 253 meters high. In comparison: The Gurten or Uetliberg are plusminus 860 meters high. But the Maltese have not yet internalized the idea of playing flat and winning high.
Temple of the giants
There are temples in Malta that were built between 3600 BC and 2500 BC. These structures are older than the pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in England and bear witness to the early civilization on the island. They are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as is the capital Valletta. The list does not end there ...
Maltese
Maltesers, who hasn't heard of these delicious (and overpriced) chocolate balls with a fluffy center? But they have little to do with Malta, as they were introduced in Great Britain in 1936 and the name refers to the malt they contain. Nevertheless, you can buy Maltesers in Malta.
