Eighty years ago today, on 25th March 1945, a powerful moment of national pride unfolded at a football match in Malta. As the teams Malta XI and Hajduk Split prepared to face off, the stadium stood for the anthems - first the Yugoslav national anthem, followed by God Save the King, the British national anthem. But then, something extraordinary happened.

With no official cue, the entire crowd of Maltese supporters spontaneously broke into the Innu Malti, their voices rising in unison, filling the stadium with a patriotic roar. It was more than just an anthem - it was a declaration of identity, a defiant show of unity at a time when Malta was still under British rule.

This unforgettable episode left a lasting impact on Rużar Briffa, one of Malta’s most renowned poets. Inspired by the raw emotion and national spirit of that moment, he penned ‘Jum ir-Rebħ’, a poem that immortalised the event and became a symbol of Malta’s unwavering resilience, with the memorable line 'And the crowd rose and shouted: ‘I am Maltese!’'

A simple football match turned into a defining moment of Maltese identity, proving that sometimes, the loudest statements are made through the power of a united voice. 

Have you ever read the poem?