The Lithuanian national football team couldn’t quench its thirst for victory on the island of Malta, once again walking away with just a point. Edgaras Jankauskas’ men were held to a 0–0 draw in their latest 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
Hopes were high heading into this one. Malta, ranked 169th in the FIFA standings compared to Lithuania’s 143rd, was seen as a beatable opponent. But after three matches in Group G, Lithuania sits on just two points—from this draw and a 2–2 tie with Finland. They also suffered a 0–1 defeat to Poland in March.
From the outset, Lithuania showed intent. In the 5th minute, Vykintas Slivka tried to find Gytis Paulauskas in the box, but the pass fell short. Just minutes later, Gvidas Gineitis fired off a powerful shot from outside the box, but it flew high and wide.
The 34th minute saw another Gineitis effort—this time from a free kick—but it too missed the mark. Moments later, Lithuania came closest: after a well-placed corner, Edgaras Utkus headed toward goal, and the ball nearly found its way in via Paulauskas. The Maltese defense bent but didn’t break.
A lightning-fast Lithuanian counter in the 36th minute ended with Paulauskas sending the ball just inches wide of the post. Despite controlling much of the first half, the scoreboard remained unchanged.
Malta’s first shot came just before halftime—a wild effort from Joseph Mbong that posed no real threat but broke their attacking silence.
The second half began with a substitution: Paulius Golubickas replaced Klaudijus Upštas. But a little bit later Lithuania nearly struck gold – in the 53rd minute when Artūras Dolžnikovas launched a spectacular shot that smashed against the crossbar—a moment that left fans gasping.
By the 61st minute, Lithuania’s keeper Edvinas Gertmonas was finally called into action, denying a shot from Paul Mbong to keep the scores level.
The game saw a wave of changes, including a historic moment in the 70th minute when Fedor Černych came on to earn his 100th cap, becoming just the second Lithuanian ever to hit the century mark after Saulius Mikoliūnas.
Late in the game, Lithuania showed flashes of urgency. Romualdas Jansonas, subbed in for Slivka, tested the Maltese keeper immediately in the 82nd minute. Malta responded with a shot from Alexander Satariano, but the effort missed the target.
As the referee blew the final whistle after 90+5 minutes, both teams were left ruing missed opportunities. The score remained 0–0, and Lithuania’s winless run extended further.
This result marks Lithuania’s ninth consecutive official match without a win—and when including the 2024 Baltic Cup final defeat to Estonia, the drought stretches to ten games in total. The last time Lithuania tasted victory was back in March 2024, when they managed back-to-back wins over Gibraltar.
With two points from three games, Lithuania finds itself in a precarious position in Group G. They’ll now shift focus to an upcoming friendly against Denmark on June 10 in Odense—a vital test ahead of a pivotal September stretch.
In September, Lithuania will host Malta again, followed by a showdown with group giants the Netherlands.
Malta vs Lithuania – 0:0 (0:0)
LIT: Gertmonas, Upstas (Golubickas 46′, Šešplaukis 74′), Kazukolovas, Utkus, Tutyškinas, Vorobjovas (Sirgedas 70′), Gineitis, Lasickas, Slivka (Jansonas 81′), Dolžnikov (Černych 70′), Paulauskas
World Cup 2026 qualifying Group G
| # | Team | GP | W | D | L | PTS |
| 1 | Netherlands | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 20 |
| 2 | Poland | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 |
| 3 | Finland | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| 4 | Malta | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | Lithuania | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
