Gibraltar face testing transition times for qualifiers in 2025

Gibraltar’s senior men’s national team will have to wait until March to try and continue their unbeaten run of matches. For the first time since they entered UEFA, Gibraltar enters a European qualifier knowing that they have gone seven matches unbeaten.
2024 marked a turnaround in Gibraltar’s results on the field. While they were unable to achieve their second automatic promotion and will have to wait until 2026 for their playoff, which will decide whether they can achieve promotion to League C, Gibraltar still managed to go through their Nations League group matches without facing defeat.
Draws against Wales and Andorra, as well as a draw against Moldova after their Nations League matches, secured a run of seven matches without defeat. This followed what many saw as a disastrous end to their previous qualification group, which saw them face their heaviest defeat in history, with France putting 14 goals past them — a European record that Gibraltar will look to avoid if they face France again.
As fate would have it, Gibraltar faces the prospect of possibly playing France once again if the Nations League playoff match between France and Croatia ends in a result that places France in Gibraltar’s group.
The prospect of facing France again is daunting. It will certainly provide the players with their biggest challenge yet, as they will need to put behind them the memories of that defeat and find the confidence to push through the match. The same confidence they demonstrated in their first encounter with France, when they reduced the former World champions to jeers from their own fans by limiting them to just three goals, a performance that led critics to target the French stars.
While Gibraltar enters the European qualifiers unbeaten, many will compare their past history in qualification group matches as a more accurate reflection of their current standing. With no points gained outside of Nations League group matches, and often facing heavy defeats, Gibraltar’s record in qualification matches tends to overshadow their recent achievements. However, the run of matches that saw them frustrate opponents like France, Netherlands, Greece, and Ireland, all with three-goal victories, is something to be proud of.
Unfortunately, this promising form was soon overshadowed when injuries and player unavailability led to a slump, which was reflected on the field. Yet, Gibraltar’s subsequent achievements, such as narrowly losing to Scotland, drawing against Wales and Andorra, and going unbeaten in their Nations League group matches, will provide the players with confidence. However, it is unlikely to reduce the pressure on head coach Julio Ribas, whose tactics and decisions have sparked ongoing criticism regarding the team’s defensive performances.
Although Gibraltar has risen in the rankings, returning to its 196th place and changing the perception of the team from one where goal differences were heavily scrutinized to one considered tough to beat, their defensive tactics continue to draw criticism.
The 2025 international campaign will be crucial for Ribas as he leads his squad into new qualification group matches. It is understood that his contract has been extended until 2026, with options for an extension until 2028 mooted before their Nations League campaign. Ribas’ future as head coach could depend on Gibraltar’s performance. However, Gibraltar FA officials have strongly supported him and his achievements.
Since Ribas’ arrival, Gibraltar has experienced some heavy defeats, such as the 14-0 loss to France, but the team has bounced back, fluctuating in rankings but maintaining its position around 195th to 196th in the FIFA listings. From being considered a “pub team” or minnows — where teams aimed to score as many goals as possible — Gibraltar is now seen as a tough opponent, one that gives teams a fight, even in defeat.
The qualifiers will provide Ribas with another opportunity to test new players, a strategy he has frequently employed during qualification group matches, despite some criticism. Players like Hartman, Scanlon, and Pozo have already made their international debuts in qualifiers, and Ribas may look to give players like Jessop a chance on the field.
However, with the squad undergoing a transition, with many veterans leaving and new players coming in, Gibraltar will need to focus on building team chemistry as they rebuild for the next five years and beyond. Although the new players are merging well with the experienced ones, and some well-known names remain on the bench, the introduction of additional players could slow down the seamless transition that has been observed during the Nations League campaign and which has provided a newfound confidence on the field.
Gibraltar will face an interesting campaign, playing against teams they have faced before and new challenges, such as a match against the Faroe Islands — a team of a similar standard to theirs — with a history dating back to pre-UEFA days.
Gibraltar’s first opponents will be Montenegro, a team they have faced before, and which offers an interesting comparison regarding Gibraltar’s development in international football.
Gibraltar’s first encounter with Montenegro was in 2021, where they suffered a 4-1 defeat at the Podgorica Stadium, followed by a 3-0 loss at Victoria Stadium seven months later. Although Montenegro is not a team Gibraltar has faced frequently, it is one that has been used as a point of comparison due to their rankings and standing.
In their most recent internationals, Montenegro has faced teams that Gibraltar has also played. They suffered defeats to Turkey, Wales, and Georgia in an international friendly, as well as Belgium. They have also had wins against North Macedonia (1-0), Belarus, Lithuania, and Bulgaria, with a notable 2-2 draw against Lithuania in September 2023, a team Gibraltar will face in the Nations League next.
Montenegro’s recent matches have shown a period of fluctuating form, with both wins and losses in the UEFA Nations League and Euro Qualifiers.
Gibraltar’s second group match will be against Czechia on March 25, 2025. It will be a home match, and the Gibraltar FA will be hoping it can be played at the Europa Point Stadium, although with just three months to complete new stands and UEFA approval required, it is likely that the match will be held at an alternative venue.
Gibraltar has never faced Czechia before. Probably one of the toughest opponents they will face — along with France or Croatia — Czechia has produced some notable results, which Gibraltar can use to gauge their strengths, having faced the same opposition. Despite a 4-1 defeat to Georgia in September, Czechia later secured a 2-1 win over the same team. They also beat Ukraine 3-2, drew 1-1 with them, and won 2-0 against Albania in October, before being held to a goalless draw in November. Czechia will be one of the main contenders in the World Cup qualifiers and could prove to be one of the toughest teams in the group.
Gibraltar will then face a short wait before their next match, which will see them play either France or Croatia. The June 6th match is expected to be played at the Europa Point Stadium and will be an important moment for Gibraltar to prove that the 14-0 defeat to France is now a thing of the past.
A positive result against France or Croatia, depending on who ends in their group, will set Gibraltar on a path that will see them face the Faroe Islands just three days later. Playing away from home and at a time when the Island Games will be in everyone’s minds, Gibraltar’s clash with the Faroe Islands will be one of pride. A rivalry dating back to pre-UEFA days continues to fuel this ongoing sports rivalry, and while the qualifier group matches may not present Gibraltar with much pressure, a result against the Faroe Islands will be seen as a measure of Gibraltar’s progress.
The Faroe Islands, having not only beaten Gibraltar since entering UEFA (4-1 at Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar’s second international match), have also progressed up the rankings and gained a reputation as one of the rising lower-ranked sides. Since their defeat in 2014, Gibraltar hosted the Faroe Islands and was held to a goalless draw in 2022 — a match many believed Gibraltar should have won.
The Faroe Islands will be one of Gibraltar’s biggest challenges, with expectations high for a victory, though this will be a tough task. Gibraltar will host the Faroe Islands in September, just two days before National Day, and at a time when both nations will have seen their clubs playing in the preliminary and first-round matches of European competitions, further adding to the expectations.
Gibraltar will then wait until October 12 for their next international group match against either France or Croatia, before facing Montenegro on November 14. Their campaign will end on November 17 against Czechia.
The qualification group matches provide Gibraltar with an opportunity to take a fresh approach, facing new challenges and opponents. This new chapter will allow the team to draw a line under their development, while players can forge new relationships on the field with the pressures of the Nations League behind them and low expectations for progress from the group stage.