Maltese FA Trophy

The Maltese FA Trophy is an annual football knockout competition in Malta that has been held since 1933, and it was established following the match between England and Italy played in Rome in the same year, when the Football Association of England donated a silver trophy to the Malta Football Association, modelled on the FA Cup, in recognition of Maltese supporters who travelled to support the English national team.

The trophy was originally a gift from the English Football Association in 1933, while a new version of the cup was presented on 8 October 2016 as a creation of Thomas Lyte, designed in the shape of the Old Cassar Cup, with a height of 65 centimetres and a weight of 7 kilograms.

The competition is played in a knockout format in its modern structure between senior clubs from Malta and also includes amateur clubs from the island of Gozo.

The winner of the Maltese FA Trophy traditionally earns qualification for European competitions, with winning the trophy providing a place in the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds or the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying rounds during different periods.

The most successful club in the history of the Maltese FA Trophy is Sliema Wanderers FC with 22 titles, followed by Floriana FC with 21 trophies and Valletta FC with 15 titles, while other clubs that have won the competition throughout its history include Hibernians, Birkirkara, Hamrun Spartans, Melita, Rabat Ajax, Balzan, Gzira United and Zurrieq.

Since 2024, the competition has been known as the Meridianbet FA Trophy, after the Malta Football Association signed a two-year title sponsorship agreement with Meridian Gaming Ltd, making Meridianbet the official title sponsor of the competition.

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