World Cup celebrations were in full swing on Tuesday night as Italy scored its second goal against Germany and won its way into the FIFA World Cup finals. Although Malta has so far never made it into the World cup, this has never stopped Maltese from whipping out the flags of their preferred team and creating a little celebratory commotion. Tuesday night was no exception with hundreds of Italy supporters taking to Maltese roads, either on foot or in their cars, and waving their azzurri flags with all their might.
However, it is not Italian supporters alone who enjoy putting their avid support for their team on show. When the English team made it into the quarter finals, many Maltese residents took to the streets armed with their trustworthy Union Jacks and St. George's Cross flags. Furthermore, it’s hardly unusual to spot a Brazilian, French or German flag dangling from resident's balconies in Maltese streets.
Spinola Bay in St. Julian's is this year's hot-spot for World Cup celebrations. Hundreds of dedicated supporters gather in the pubs in the area to watch the matches, only to burst into a sporadic car-cade if their beloved team wins.
Tuesday’s celebrations stretched past the small hours with supporters blowing their car horns and gas horns up until 0130CEST on Wednesday.
Malta’s World Cup fever also spread on Internet, with blogs such as Il-Logħba s-Sabiħa documenting and commenting about the matches from a Maltese perspective on a regular basis.
The second semi-final game between Portugal and France will be played in Munich on Wednesday at 2100CEST. The winning team will then face Italy in the World Cup Final on Sunday 9th July at 2000CEST. The final game will be held in Germany's capital city Berlin.
See also MaltaMedia's special feature: FIFA World Cup Germany: A Maltese Perspective.
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