According to FIFA’s world rankings, San Marino are the worst international team on the planet – considered to have less talent that footballing powerhouses such as Anguilla and the U.S. Virgin Islands. But the governing body may need to update their rankings pronto: for San Marino have now won their first competitive international game!
The microstate has a population of around 35,000 people, which is akin to the UK town of Accrington becoming an independent nation and setting up its own international football team. So, tackling other countries has been, shall we say, challenging for San Marino, but after more than three decades of trying they have finally won their first game in a recognised, UEFA sanctioned competition.
34 Years of Hurt
England fans bemoan that it’s been the best part of 60 years since their country has won a major tournament. Spare a thought for San Marino supporters, who have had to wait 34 years for their heroes to win a game.
The victims of ‘La Serenissima’s’ maiden victory were Liechtenstein, who succumbed to a 0-1 loss in the Nations League at the 6,664 capacity San Marino Stadium. A second-half goal from Nicko Sensoli, who plays his club football for Italian fourth division side Sangiuliano, was enough to separate the teams.
🇸🇲 SAN MARINO WIN A GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20+ YEARS & A COMPETITIVE MATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!!
History is made as the worst team in the FIFA rankings (210th) finally end the longest winless run in international football history (140 games dating back to April 2004)!!! pic.twitter.com/xbB3M2WQUE
— The Sweeper (@SweeperPod) September 5, 2024
San Marino have won before, albeit that came in a friendly game rather than a competitive outing. The victims? It was Liechtenstein again, with the 0-1 scoreline at the San Marino Stadium in 2004 mirroring that of what would follow some 20 years later.
Otherwise, San Marino’s record in competitive games – which are categorised as qualifiers for the World Cup and European Championship, as well as the UEFA Nations League – had read W0 D5 L171 prior to the win over Liechtenstein in September 2024.
Early Days
The tiny republic didn’t even establish its national football team until 1986, gaining affiliation to both FIFA and UEFA two years later – enabling them to try and qualify for the World Cup, Euros et al. The scene was set for the Sammarinese’s first competitive game against Switzerland in November 1990. They lost 0-4 in front of a crowd of 931 at their former home at the Stadio Olimpico in the Serravalle castelli.
They would round out that Euro ’92 qualification campaign with eight defeats and 33 goals conceded, although they did score their first-ever international goal in just their third game: Valdes Pasolini netting a 30th minute penalty against Romania in a 1-3 loss in March 1991.
San Marino would score their first goal from open play against Turkey in a World Cup ’94 qualifier; the Turks would also be the opponents when the Sammarinese avoided defeat for the first time in a 0-0 stalemate back in March 1993.
World Cup Qualification 1993
That World Cup qualification campaign also created, arguably, San Marino’s most famous moment in football. England were the visitors in a game hosted at Bologna’s Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, and it would be fair to say that they took their plucky opponents lightly.
Straight from the kick-off, Stuart Pearce played a lazy ball back to his goalkeeper, David Seaman, that was woefully under-hit. San Marino’s Davide Gualtieri latched onto it before sliding his shot home: the Sammarinese were ahead after just 8.3 seconds, which was at the time the fastest-ever goal in a World Cup qualifier.
San Marino proceeded to hold onto their lead for more than 20 minutes against an increasingly-nervy England, and while the Three Lions would ultimately run out 7-1 winners, the San Marino players left the field to a hero’s reception.
Euro 2024
They continued to struggle for the next few decades, but in more recent times San Marino have started to show improvement. In Euro 2024 qualifying, they scored in three consecutive games against credible opposition: Denmark, Finland and Kazakhstan running out narrow victors in those contests.
Who Are the Worst Teams in International Football?
Officially, at the time of writing, San Marino are the worst team in international football. But FIFA’s world rankings aren’t always considered to be the best barometer of such things, and the results of the Sammarinese since the start of 2023 would suggest that they’re not even the worst team in Europe, let alone on the planet.
Anguilla
While San Marino are ranked dead last at 210 in FIFA’s standings, in 209th we have Anguilla. The Caribbean territory didn’t play its first competitive game until the year 2000, when 250 fans headed to Ronald Webster Park on the island to see a 1-3 defeat to the Bahamas.
Anguilla is every inch the international football minnow. In qualifying for World Cup 2022, they were placed in a group with Panama, the Dominican Republic, Barbados and Dominica – losing every game and suffering a heavy 0-13 defeat to Panama along the way.
However, there are green shoots of progress for the Anguillans. In World Cup 2026 qualifying, they defeated Turks & Caicos Islands on penalties after two drawn games, as well as beating the same opponent in the CONCACAF’s Nations League in September 2024.
Turks & Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Three other Caribbean nations – Turks & Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands – are ranked 206, 207 and 208, respectively, and a case can be made that all three of those are weaker sides than San Marino.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka are ranked 205, but their position is somewhat false – they were suspended by FIFA for much of 2023 over supposed ‘government interference in football’, which meant that they weren’t earning ranking points for much of that period.
San Marino Are Moving on Up
Their form since being reinstated in October 2023 reads W1 D3 L3 in games played against their AFC Confederation rivals, which isn’t the stuff of hopeless minnows. So, who is the worst international team in football? That’s open to debate, although it’s highly doubtful that San Marino fit the bill anymore.
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