Where to Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Malta: The Definitive Guide
So the World Cup is here. Forty-eight teams, five weeks of football, and Malta doing what it does best — finding any excuse to be outside with a cold drink.
Whether you’re after a rooftop beer garden, a seafront terrace, a no fuss pub, or a cocktail bar that has absolutely no business showing football but is doing it anyway, you’ll find something on this list.
One thing worth checking before you head out: although I did my fact checking, contact the venue for their exact line ups.
The Post-Midnight Crew
Hugo’s Pub, St Julian’s
Part of the Hugo’s group — one of St Julian’s most established hospitality names — Hugo’s Pub has long been the go-to for sports fans on the island. Multiple screens positioned throughout the venue, a full food menu, live entertainment, and a bar stocked with local and continental beers, premium spirits and cocktails. All FIFA World Cup games live throughout the tournament.
Tex Mex Bar & Grill, Paceville
A Paceville institution since 1995 — and still going strong. Multiple big screens, American food, ribs, burgers and sharing platters, and the kind of atmosphere that keeps you there well past the final whistle. Showing all matches throughout the tournament including the 3am and 4am kickoffs. A solid choice if you want the match to feel like a proper night out.
St Julian’s World Cup Village, Spinola Bay
The full fan-zone experience — think festival rather than just a screening. Massive Promotions has taken over Spinola Bay for the entire tournament — giant screens, live DJs, food and drink village, and crowd energy that makes even a 0–0 group stage draw feel like an occasion. Entry to the main fan zone gives you access to all matches throughout the tournament, with a standing ticket available from €16.20 per person (including VAT). For groups, a table of six starts at €96.30 (including VAT), which includes €90 worth of bar tokens. VIP area also available. Tickets can be purchased at the door, subject to capacity — card payments only.
Jungle Joy, Gzira & St Julian’s
You can always count on Jungle Joy. One of Malta’s most consistently good-vibes bars — tropical-themed, big on craft and draught beers, Thai food from the kitchen, and a crowd that’s been showing up for years. They’re screening a full match calendar throughout the tournament which includes the midnight and 1am kickoffs — reserve your table before kick-off. Two locations: the original in Gzira, or the newer St Julian’s spot which also has arcade games and cold platters.
Jungle Joy — Gzira
Jungle Joy — St Julian’s
City Gate World Cup Village, Valletta
There’s watching the World Cup, and then there’s watching it on a mega LED video wall with special effects in Valletta’s main civic square. The City Gate World Cup Village runs every match from 11 June to 19 July, with a football bites menu and beer on tap to keep things going. Post-midnight matches are shown, with selected 3am–4am fixtures for major games — call ahead on 9959 1733 to reserve your spot.
Rapid Sports Lounge, Qawra
Up in Qawra and built specifically for occasions like this. Seven screens including a 98-inch main screen with amplified sound, over 90 seats, food and cold drinks throughout. Showing all matches up to 1am, and for the major 3am–4am kickoffs — if demand is there, they’ll be open for the big matches. Worth messaging them ahead.
Bus Stop Lounge, Gzira
Open 24/7 on The Strand in Gzira, right by the sea — casual, popular with expats and locals alike, and reliably busy on matchday. Big screen, cold drinks, and a waterfront spot that asks very little of you.
The Trendy Ones
Kuch Kuch, St Julian’s
One of the most, if not the most whimsical bar to open in Malta, and they’re screening the World Cup group stage on their terrace. An intimate cocktail bar inside Mercury House in St Julian’s, Kuch Kuch blends Indian Bollywood flair with a distinctly Western edge — custom drink vessels, multi-sensory cocktails crafted with unconventional ingredients, Indian-inspired small plates, and a space that runs entirely on table service. Watching the match here will feel nothing like watching it anywhere else on this list. Group stage screenings run 11–27 June.
Charles & Ron Café, Valletta & Naxxar
Charles and Ron are behind one of Malta’s most established fashion houses — designers who have been dressing international celebrities and showing at New York Fashion Week for decades. The café, with locations in Valletta and Naxxar, carries the same considered aesthetic: beautifully put together, not trying too hard, and very much a place where the food and drinks are taken as seriously as the interiors. Match-day offers running throughout the tournament, happy hour 3–7pm Monday to Friday and Sunday.
Kingsway Balluta, St Julian’s
Kingsway built its reputation in Valletta on cocktails and charcuterie platters. The Balluta Bay location — velvet booths, marble surfaces, art deco details, a terrace facing the parish church — takes it further into full restaurant and late-night bar territory. Enjoy the game alfresco on their front terrace with happy hour running during live matches. It’s the kind of place where watching the World Cup feels like a deliberate choice rather than a default one. Booking is recommended, so is the food.
Hammett’s Gastro Bar, Sliema
Tigné Seafront, Sliema. Asian-fusion tapas, a well-considered drinks list, and a Match Hour deal running during every live game: 2 pints and 2 bar bites of your choice for €24.90. Walk-ins welcome, and there’s a private screening room available for groups who’d rather keep things contained.
The Pubs
The Londoner British Pubs, Smart City & Sliema
Two locations — Smart City and Sliema. Modern, unpretentious, and exactly what you want for a World Cup match: screens everywhere, cold pints, and a deal running throughout the tournament — one pinsa and two beers for €15.95.
The Chapels Gastrobrewpub, Birkirkara
Not your typical pub. The Chapels is a gastrobrewpub housed within the former Farsons Brewhouse in Birkirkara — Malta’s largest industrial conversion. Rooftop beer garden with open-air big screen, over 20 craft beers brewed on site, fresh food made daily, live music, and an outdoor terrace that genuinely comes alive on matchday. VIP Matchday Tables at €26.50pp (min 4, max 6) include your own private draught tap and two hours of unlimited BBQ wings. Only two available per evening game.
Cheeky Monkey Gastropub, Valletta
A proper gastropub on Merchants Street in Valletta, part of the AX Hotels group — burgers, ribs, the Baboon platter, signature cocktails, and a private room if your group wants the whole space. Streaming live matches daily with kickoffs from 12pm to 10pm Malta time. DM to book.
King’s Gate Gastropub, Msida
A cosy, well-established gastropub in the heart of Msida — known for home-made grass-fed Irish beef burgers, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and home-style cooking made with fresh ingredients. Good selection of local and foreign beers alongside handcrafted cocktails. Showing the World Cup live — worth calling ahead on 9969 5749 to book your table.
The Queen Victoria City Pub, Valletta
South Street, Valletta. Dark wood panelling, copper-embossed ceilings, leather bar stools, multiple screens — somewhere between a proper pub and a Victorian saloon, and popular with both tourists and the afterwork crowd. Showing the World Cup live throughout the tournament.
Rare Pub & Grill, Montekristo Estate, Siggiewi
Out in Siggiewi within the sprawling Montekristo Estate — dark wood, copper beer taps, and enough character on the walls to keep you entertained between kickoffs. Free parking, €3 pints, and every match shown during opening hours from 6pm to 1am. If the match happens to fall on a Thursday, there’s also a €15 unlimited beer deal running throughout opening hours. Far enough from the crowd to feel like a deliberate choice.
The Craftsman TAP, St Paul’s Bay
A proper British boozer up in St Paul’s Bay — known for its Sunday roasts, karaoke nights, and draught beer on tap. World Cup specials running every evening except Fridays, when the kitchen switches to a fish and chips menu. The deal: a pint of Heineken, Stella, Moretti or Strongbow plus a quarter-pound burger for €7.50, or a bottle of Skol or Bavaria with a burger for €5.50.
Crosskeys Gastropub, Mellieha
A well-loved family-run gastropub in the heart of Mellieha, with views of the bay, pool table, darts, live music and a proper pub menu. They’d love to be screening the post-midnight matches too — but it depends on bookings. Follow their Facebook page for updates and book ahead to secure your spot.
By the Water
Klay, St Julian’s
A stunning bayside resto-lounge sitting right on Balluta Bay in St Julian’s — floor-to-ceiling glass, sea views, and a big screen set up for the World Cup alongside a football bites menu and beers on tap. One of the more scenic spots on this list for a summer evening kickoff.
Bocce Bistro, Marsamxett
Tucked along Boat Street at Marsamxett Harbour, directly beneath Valletta’s fortified walls. A relaxed Mediterranean restaurant with outdoor seating right at the water’s edge, a big screen for the World Cup, and the old city skyline framing the whole thing.
Tigne Beach Club, Sliema
Watching football at a sleek beach club, with a big screen, a football bites menu, and beers on tap. A genuinely different way to watch a summer tournament.
The Wet Deck, Marsaxlokk
Newly-opened in Marsaxlokk, The Wet Deck is a waterfront destination with a clubhouse feel — sea views, relaxed outdoor setting, food, drinks, and all matches shown during opening hours. Happy hour all day, every day. Worth the drive south.
The Restaurants
Vecchia Napoli, Multiple Locations
Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, pasta and Italian classics across multiple outlets in Malta. All locations are screening the World Cup — big screens at Ta’ Qali and Skyparks, a Football Festival setup at The Brewhouse, and TVs at Mellieha, Qawra, Salini and St Julian’s. Matches shown during opening hours. Book at vecchianapoli.com.
Piccolo Padre, St Julian’s
An 18th-century Maltese villa perched above Balluta Bay. Italian trattoria — pizza, pasta, seafood — with stare-worthy sea views in St Julian’s. Family friendly. Book ahead.
Chatterbox, Bugibba
South East Asian restaurant and cocktail bar on the Islets Promenade in St Paul’s Bay. Open tandoor kitchen, Indian and Asian dishes spanning Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, and a solid cocktails list. Booking advised.
The Sports Bars
The Brew Grill & Brewery, Sliema
Malta’s original craft brewpub on The Strand in Sliema, with the tanks right there next to the bar. Giant screens, beer happy hour Monday to Friday 2–4pm, and a World Cup deal running throughout: free-flow beer plus all-you-can-eat chips for €18.99pp, or free-flow beer plus 400g chicken wings for €19.99pp.
The Wolves Hub Sports Bar, Zurrieq
Zurrieq’s dedicated sports bar — big screen, fully air conditioned, and a deal worth knowing: a free chicken burger, beef burger or pinsa with every €12 in drink tokens purchased. For bookings: 9986 4674.
Balluta Bar, St Julian’s
One of St Julian’s most reliably lively bars — unpretentious, always open late, and popular with a mixed crowd of locals, expats and visitors. The owner shows all sports and the atmosphere takes care of itself.
The Wildcards
Balzunetta, Floriana
In Floriana, just outside the Valletta city gates — giant screen on the outdoor terrace, Maltese and Mediterranean food, and every match screened under the stars. Book ahead.
Spinola Café & Lounge, St Julian’s
Right on Spinola Bay in St Julian’s, with a big screen mounted on the building wall and the kind of packed outdoor crowd that makes every goal feel communal. A modern café and lounge that turns into something closer to a neighbourhood watch party on matchday.
Mingles Lounge & Bistro, Gzira
Multiple screens with full sound, a full food menu, and a €2.50 beer offer. Happy hour running 9am to 9pm. There’s also a screen outside — high tables, open air, and a decent spot to catch a match on a warm evening.
Is-Suq Tal-Belt, Valletta
Valletta’s prestigious indoor market — and home to one of the largest screens in the city. Selected matches from weeks 1 to 3, with food and drinks from the market kiosks all around you. A genuinely different setting for a match, right in the heart of the capital.
The tournament runs to 19 July. Pace yourselves.
