On 21 December 1983, Spain played Malta in the last qualification match for UEFA Euro 1984. Needing a victory by no less than 11 goals to qualify, Spain won the match 12–1. The game is often described as one of the most important in the Spanish national team's history.^[1]

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Quick Facts Event, Malta ...

Spain v Malta (1983)

The Estadio Benito Villamarín in Seville hosted the match
Event	UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 7 Matchday 8
Spain Malta 12 1
Spain qualified for UEFA Euro 1984
Date	21 December 1983 (1983-12-21)
Venue	Estadio Benito Villamarín, Seville
Referee	Erkan Göksel (Turkey)
Attendance	18,871

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With only the group winner getting a spot in the finals, the Netherlands had defeated Malta 5–0 four days before, and had finished their qualification schedule on top of the group with 13 points and a goal difference of +16.

If Spain won their final qualifier and thus also finished on 13 points, goal difference would decide the group winner. Spain's goal difference was +5 before the match; if it also reached +16, then the total number of goals scored by Spain would surpass that of the Netherlands, putting Spain ahead. Therefore, the team needed a win by a margin of 11 or more goals.

Spain had only managed to score 12 goals in their seven matches hitherto in the group. Before the game the Maltese goalkeeper John Bonello said: "I wouldn't return to my country if they scored 11 goals."^[2]

Going into the match, the Group 7 table stood as follows:

More information Pos, Pld ...

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Netherlands	8	6	1	1	22	6	+16	13	Qualify for final tournament
2	Spain	7	5	1	1	12	7	+5	11
3	Republic of Ireland (E)	8	4	1	3	20	10	+10	9
4	Iceland (E)	8	1	1	6	3	13	−10	3
5	Malta (E)	7	1	0	6	4	25	−21	2

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This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. (June 2014)

The match was broadcast by RTVE in Spain. Afterwards, in Malta, many claimed ^{[citation needed]} that the Maltese were paid to not play their best and to let Spain win by a large margin, and it was rumoured that words had been exchanged between Maltese and Spanish officials and players at half-time. In March 2018, two Maltese players, Silvio Demanuele and Carmel Busuttil, claimed that Spain had been using doping as "they had foam in their mouths and could not stop drinking water". They also claim the Maltese players were drugged via lemon wedges during halftime.^[6] However, as of 2018, no evidence has come forth to support these allegations.^[7]

The Malta Football Association launched an inquiry into the result, and its chairman George Abela (later the President of Malta) brought about changes to the national team. Abela said that a lack of facilities meant that the team lacked serious professional preparation for a tournament such as the European Championships, and the closeness of away fixtures (Malta had played in the Netherlands only four days before their 12–1 loss in Seville) was a further hindrance and such scheduling would be avoided in future.

Spain and the Netherlands finished the qualification stage level on 13 points, level on goal difference, but Spain qualified on goals scored (24, compared to 22 for the Netherlands).

More information Pos, Pld ...

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Spain	8	6	1	1	24	8	+16	13	Qualify for final tournament
2	Netherlands	8	6	1	1	22	6	+16	13
3	Republic of Ireland	8	4	1	3	20	10	+10	9
4	Iceland	8	1	1	6	3	13	−10	3
5	Malta	8	1	0	7	5	37	−32	2

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• The match produced the second-largest win in Spain's history (the largest was 13–0 against Bulgaria in 1933), and Malta's largest loss.
• The four goals scored by Santillana put him as the top goalscorer in qualifying group 7.

• UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 7
• Spain national football team results