Bormla Subbuteo Club wins Grand Prix of Messina 2025

Maintains World Number 1 Ranking in FISTF World Team Rankings

Bormla Subbuteo Club, currently ranked number one in the world in the FISTF World Rankings for teams, claimed a historic victory at the Grand Prix of Messina 2025. In a thrilling final, they defeated Barcelona Mortellito—winners of the last four editions—by a narrow 2-1 margin, in a match packed with drama and excitement.

The final began with Bormla taking the lead after just seven minutes, but Barcelona fought back, equalizing before halftime. The first half ended 1-1, setting the stage for an intense second half. The match saw both teams battling for control, with Bormla often pressing high but Barcelona also creating dangerous moments.

As the clock wound down, Bormla thought they had sealed the win at 2-1, only for Barcelona to equalize with just 10 seconds remaining—seemingly sending the match to extra time. But in the final 3 seconds, the referee awarded a foul near the penalty area due to a voluntary infringement by a Barcelona player. With 10 seconds granted for the set piece, Player-Manager Josef Camilleri instructed Jason Pisani to take the shot—and Pisani delivered spectacularly, scoring the winner and securing the title for Bormla.

Route to the Title

Bormla’s journey to the trophy was dominant:

• Group Stage:

  • Defeated Siracusa 4-0

  • Defeated Catania 4-0

• Quarter-finals: Beat Cosenza 3-0

• Semi-finals: Defeated Messina 2-1

• Final: Triumphed over Barcelona Mortellito 2-1

This victory marks the first time Bormla has won the Grand Prix of Messina, after reaching two semi-finals and a final in previous years. It adds to their growing list of accolades, bringing their total for 2025 to five Grand Prix and International Open titles. Bormla maintains a 1,600-point lead in the FISTF world rankings.

Team Line-up

• Jason Pisani

• George Ebejer

• Cristian Haas (Austria)

• Wolfgang Haas (Austria)

• Josef Camilleri (Player-Manager)

Acknowledgments

Bormla Subbuteo Club extends sincere thanks to the following supporters and sponsors:

• VisitMalta

• SportMalta

• Maltese Olympic Committee

• Mykonos by Yiamas

• EJCS

• EuroClub Hotel

• Fairbet

• Cospicua Dynamos

Next Competitions

Bormla’s upcoming commitments include the Athens Major and the Ludwigsburg Grand Prix.

Gerald Fenech

Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist