The world’s lowest-ranked national men’s football team are celebrating their first ever competitive win and their first victory on the pitch in 20 years.
Tiny San Marino, a microstate surrounded by Italy, defeated Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League.
Nicko Sensoli scored in the 53rd minute to give the landlocked country its historic triumph – triggering scenes of jubilation.
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San Marino had previously beaten Liechtenstein by the same score in 2004, but in a friendly.
The side sits at 210th – last – in FIFA’s world rankings, with Liechtenstein not far ahead at 199.
With a population of just 33,000, San Marino has a limited pool of footballing talent to draw upon with most of the team made up of amateur players, who have second jobs.
Travelling supporters have also on occasion outnumbered Sammarinese fans at the 7,000-capacity San Marino Stadium for home games.
The team have lost 196 of the 205 fixtures they have played, with the most crushing defeat suffered at home in 2006 at the hands of Germany with a 13-0 scoreline.
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They have been beaten by 10 goals or more seven times over the years.
San Marino set a European record when they went more than 20 matches without scoring a single goal between 2008 and 2012.
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Despite the long-running winless streak, there have been notable highlights.
San Marino held the record for the fastest goal in FIFA World Cup qualifying history for 22 years when they scored against England after only 8.3 seconds in 1993, although they then went on to be beaten 7-1.
However, their status as the worst football team also means they are seen as the sport’s biggest underdogs, earning them a worldwide following and a dedicated social media fan account.
