Georgia Secures Last Semi-Final Spot with Dramatic Win Over Malta

Georgia’s players formed a tight huddle on the sand at full-time, roared on by a small but noisy pocket of travelling fans. They had done it. A hard, nervy 2-1 win over Malta carried them over the line and into the last available semi-final place, sealing the final four and closing a gripping group phase.

Group A: Georgia hold their nerve

With everything riding on it, Georgia vs Malta began like a match neither side dared to lose. Both teams sat in compact shapes, carefully closing passing lanes and refusing to over-commit. The first period drifted by goalless, more chessboard than beach.

The tension finally cracked in the second period. Georgia stepped five metres higher, pressed the ball with more aggression and were rewarded when Kurdadze struck to open the scoring, a finish that released a surge of energy from the Georgian bench. Malta wobbled. Georgia sensed it.

Just before the end of the period, Lomidze delivered what looked like a decisive blow, making it 2-0 and tilting the tie heavily in Georgia’s favour heading into the final frame. Malta suddenly needed something special.

They almost found it. Bray hauled Malta back into contention in the third period, his goal sparking a late surge. Red shirts poured forward, testing Georgia’s composure with every attack. Yet Georgia, so careful and controlled early on, now showed steel. They dropped deep, blocked shots, won duels in the sand and saw out a fraught finale to clinch a 2-1 victory and the last semi-final ticket.

Latvia now await them in the knockout rounds. On this evidence, Georgia will not be easy to shift.

Group B: Slovakia edge England in extra-time thriller

If Georgia’s win was about control and resilience, Slovakia and England served up chaos.

England struck first in the opening period through Hulme, settling quickly and taking command of the contest. Slovakia’s reply was ruthless. Turoň levelled, Šmálik added another, and in the space of a few minutes England’s 1-0 lead had flipped into a 2-1 deficit by the first break.

The second period was a scrap. England struggled to find rhythm and were punished with an own goal that stretched Slovakia’s advantage to 3-1. Just when the game threatened to slip away, Robinson dragged England back into it, trimming the margin to 3-2 and keeping the contest alive heading into the final period.

The pressure told again in the third. Friery struck for England to make it 3-3, the momentum swinging sharply as Slovakia were forced onto the back foot. Every challenge grew heavier, every clearance more desperate as the clock ticked down. Neither side could find a winner in regulation. Extra time loomed.

There, the decisive moment belonged to Hrnčiar. He broke free, buried his chance, and with that Slovakia claimed a dramatic 4-3 victory after extra time, leaving England to digest a painful near-miss and a place in the 5th–7th playoffs.

Latvia stay cool to edge Azerbaijan

Latvia’s 3-2 win over Azerbaijan was less wild but no less intense.

They struck first in the opening period through Grīslis, a clean finish that gave Latvia a slender 1-0 cushion at the first break. It felt fragile, but it was a platform.

The second period opened up. Orkhan hauled Azerbaijan level, briefly tilting the momentum their way, only for Ģēgers to restore Latvia’s lead and send them into the final period 2-1 ahead. Latvia had taken their chances; Azerbaijan had not.

When Sakne made it 3-1 in the third frame, Latvia finally had breathing room. Orkhan’s second of the game cut the deficit and set up a tense finale, but Latvia’s back line refused to crack, closing space and clearing their lines under pressure to close out a tight 3-2 victory.

The result pushes Latvia into a semi-final showdown with Georgia, a meeting between two sides who have shown they can suffer and still come through.

What comes next

The group stage has set the board for a compelling finish:

• England 3–4 Slovakia (aet)
• Latvia 3–2 Azerbaijan
• Georgia 2–1 Malta

On 18/07/2026, Slovakia and England will face off again in the 5th–7th place playoffs, with Malta also entering that mini-battle for ranking. At the sharp end, Norway meet Azerbaijan in one semi-final, while Latvia and Georgia collide in the other.

Georgia arrived fighting just to get out of the group. Now, with momentum and a statement win behind them, how far can they push this run?