It looks like Malta has been selected to host the 2023 U19 Championship Finals, with early indications that the UEFA Executive Committee will approve the selection. 

“Indications are that UEFA EXCO will be considering favourably Malta’s bid to host U19 UEFA Championship Finals in summer 2023,” the Malta Football Association (MFA) said in a Facebook post today. 

The annual competition is contested by Europe’s men’s under-19 national teams. Both the 2020 and 2021 finals were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with next year’s finals due to take place in Slovakia. 

If the news is confirmed, it will be the second time Malta has hosted a UEFA tournament after hosting the Under-17 Championship finals back in 2014. 

In July last year, the MFA said it had entered a bid to host the 2024 finals, but it now looks like Malta has been selected to host the finals a year earlier. 

Under the leadership of president Bjorn Vassallo, the MFA has embarked on a detailed strategy aimed at raising the standard of football in the country. 

Through this strategic plan, the MFA is looking to address issues such as technical and infrastructural development of the game, areas that have been lacking over the years. 

The MFA hopes to have made significant investments in the country’s infrastructure by the time the competition starts. 

What do you make of this announcement?