Georgia secures semi-final spot with 2-1 win over Malta
Georgia walked off the sand with fists clenched and shirts covered in grit, the last ticket to the semi-finals finally theirs after a tight, anxious 2-1 win over Malta that completed the final four.
On a day when every touch carried weight, Group A and Group B both delivered drama, extra time, and late resistance. By the end, Georgia had joined Norway, Azerbaijan and Latvia in the knockout rounds, while Slovakia edged a thriller and Latvia survived a late scare.
Georgia 2–1 Malta: Kurdadze and Lomidze fire historic step
For a full period, Georgia and Malta played chess on sand.
Both sides sat in rigid, disciplined shapes. Chances were scarce, risk was minimal, and the first 12 minutes passed without the kind of lapse that usually cracks open a beach soccer match. With the semi-final spot hanging over every decision, caution ruled.
The game finally snapped into life in the second period.
Georgia pushed higher, squeezed the Maltese build-up, and the pressure told. Kurdadze found the breakthrough, striking the opener that released the tension on the Georgian bench and tilted the tie their way.
Malta tried to respond, but just as they were stretching to find an equaliser, Georgia struck again. Lomidze doubled the advantage before the end of the period, a crucial second that gave Georgia a 2-0 cushion and, for the first time, a sense of real control.
The final period was anything but comfortable.
Malta came out swinging, throwing numbers forward and refusing to accept the script. Bray pulled one back to make it 2-1 and suddenly every Georgian clearance felt desperate, every tackle a test of nerve. The closing minutes were played almost entirely in Georgia’s half, yet their back line held firm, repelling waves of pressure to see out a victory that sends them into the semi-finals and leaves Malta heading for placement play-offs.
Slovakia 4–3 England (aet): Hrnčiar settles a wild contest
Group B served up chaos.
England struck first, Hulme opening the scoring early in the first period to give them the perfect platform. Slovakia did not flinch. Turoň levelled, Šmálik turned the game around, and by the first break Slovakia led 2-1, their finishing sharper and their response ruthless.
The second period tightened up. England, chasing, were hit by an own goal that stretched Slovakia’s lead to 3-1, only for Robinson to drag his side back into it and close the gap to 3-2 by the end of the frame. Every challenge grew heavier, every restart loaded with jeopardy.
The third period brought the twist.
Friery struck for England, forcing 3-3 and swinging momentum towards the team in white. Slovakia, who had led for so long, suddenly looked vulnerable as the clock ticked down. Regulation time could not separate them.
Extra time demanded a hero, and Hrnčiar stepped up. His decisive goal shattered the deadlock and sealed a 4-3 win, a dramatic finish to a match that never settled into a pattern and refused to let go until the final whistle.
Latvia 3–2 Azerbaijan: Sakne’s cushion proves just enough
Latvia’s meeting with Azerbaijan unfolded in more controlled fashion, but the tension was no less real.
Grīslis opened the scoring in the first period, a clean strike that gave Latvia a narrow 1-0 lead at the first break and, crucially, the right to dictate tempo.
The second period loosened up. Azerbaijan found their range and Orkhan levelled, only for Ģēgers to restore Latvia’s advantage and send them into the final frame 2-1 up. Latvia had the edge, yet Azerbaijan’s threat was growing.
The third period brought the key moment.
Sakne added a third, the kind of goal that feels like a safety net in a tight contest. At 3-1, Latvia finally had breathing space. They needed it. Orkhan struck again to complete his brace and drag Azerbaijan back to 3-2, setting up a nervy finish.
Latvia dug in. Their defence absorbed the late surge, blocked shots, and cleared danger under pressure to close out a hard-earned win that books their place in the semi-finals and leaves Azerbaijan facing Norway in the last four.
What comes next
With the group stage done, the picture is clear.
Georgia’s reward is a semi-final against Latvia, a clash between two sides who have shown resilience under pressure and just enough cutting edge when it mattered. Norway face Azerbaijan in the other semi-final, while Slovakia, England and Malta drop into the play-offs for 5th–7th place.
Georgia have already taken one decisive step. The question now is whether this hard-fought breakthrough becomes a one-off moment, or the start of something far bigger on the sand.
