Cardona’s World Cup Dream Fades as Malta Suffers Heavy Defeat to Netherlands

Malta’s hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup took a significant blow Thursday evening as they were convincingly defeated 4-0 by a dominant Netherlands side in their sixth qualifying match. ASSE striker Irvin Cardona,a key player for the Maltese,found himself on the wrong side of a tough encounter against the formidable Dutch squad,captained by Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.

Despite a recent red card in a kind match, Cardona was available for Malta’s crucial World Cup qualifiers.This call-up was seen as an opportunity for the striker to regain valuable playing time, especially given his recent struggles for consistent starts with ASSE. Since their victory against Reims in Ligue 2,Cardona has seen his minutes limited,often finding himself behind other attacking options like Augustine Boakye,Lucas Stassin,and Zuriko Davitashvili. His recent appearances have been sporadic, including brief cameos and a second-half outing against Montpellier.

World Cup Aspirations Diminish

Entering the match against the Netherlands, Malta was already in a precarious position in Group G. Sitting at the bottom with just two points, an upset victory against the group leaders was essential to keep any faint hopes of qualification alive. The Netherlands, having secured 10 points from their first four matches, were the clear favorites and had the opportunity to extend their lead over Poland, who had a bye week.

The reality for Malta was stark: a loss against the Dutch would officially end their chances of participating in the 2026 World Cup. For Cardona and his teammates, the “American dream” of playing on the world stage seemed to be slipping away even before kickoff.

Cardona Unable to Spark an Upset

Cardona started in what was always going to be an uphill battle for Malta. The Dutch asserted their dominance early, with Cody gakpo converting a penalty in the 12th minute to give the visitors a 1-0 lead at halftime. The second half saw the Netherlands extend their advantage swiftly, as Gakpo added another penalty in the 48th minute. The Liverpool forward continued his remarkable performance, providing an assist for Tijjani Reijnders in the 57th minute, effectively sealing the game. Memphis Depay added a final flourish with a goal in stoppage time, bringing the final score to 4-0.

Cardona received a yellow card in the 55th minute and was substituted in the 87th minute. This extensive defeat against a European powerhouse means Malta is now mathematically eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.

cardona will have another opportunity to represent Malta on sunday, October 12th, when they face Bosnia-Herzegovina in a friendly match.