Five minutes were enough for Haley Bugeja to give Inter a landmark night at the Brianteo. The Malta forward scored the club’s first-ever goal in the Women’s Champions League, and it proved decisive as the Nerazzurre claimed their first victory in the competition against Sweden’s Häcken.
It was a moment that placed Bugeja at the centre of Inter’s growing European story. The 22-year-old marked the occasion with a Spider-Man celebration after bringing her sharp left foot, direct running and dribbling to a match that had already carried the weight of a club occasion.
Quick facts
- Haley Bugeja scored Inter’s first goal in the Women’s Champions League.
- The goal helped Inter secure their first win in the tournament, against Häcken.
- Bugeja, born in Pietà, Malta, joined Inter in 2023 after her spell with Orlando Pride.
- She signed a contract extension last year that keeps her at Inter until 2029.
- Before Inter, she spent two years at Sassuolo and had scored 140 goals in 63 matches for Malta’s Mgarr United.
Bugeja’s route to this stage has already been unusually rich. Born in Pietà, close to Malta’s capital, she made her name at Mgarr United with an extraordinary scoring record before moving to Italy, where she spent two seasons with Sassuolo.
Her left-footed style and ability to take on defenders led to the nickname “the Neroverdi Messi” during her time in Reggio Emilia. A subsequent experience in the United States with Orlando Pride preceded her move to Inter in 2023.
Her profile has also carried significance beyond the pitch. Seven months ago, European Parliament president Roberta Metsola, another Maltese figure, visited Inter’s headquarters and met Bugeja. The forward presented Metsola with her No. 7 shirt, taking a small piece of the Nerazzurri identity to Strasbourg.
Tuesday’s match, however, belonged to the player herself. Bugeja said afterwards that she could not have imagined such an occasion even as a child, describing the goal as a huge emotion and saying she hoped it had made her family proud.
She also stressed that the important element was helping Inter win. With her future already secured until 2029, Bugeja sees room for both personal progress and a stronger campaign from the squad.
“I want to keep moving forward,” she said. “We have everything needed to have a very good season. Last year was positive, but I always expect a lot from myself. I want to improve, keep going and help the team.”
Bugeja added that she remains hungry for more, encouraged by the quality around her in the Inter group. For a club building its place in Europe, the first goal and first win will stand as a chapter of real importance—and for its Maltese forward, it was a night made historic almost immediately.
