San Marino: World's lowest-ranked football team win first ever competitive game
The national men's football team who is ranked at the bottom of the list in the world is now rejoicing over their very first win in a competitive game in 20 years.
Small San Marino, a tiny country completely surrounded by Italy, triumphed over Liechtenstein with a 1-0 victory in the UEFA Nations League.
Nicko Sensoli scored a goal in the 53rd minute which led to the landlocked country achieving their first-ever victory, causing joyous celebrations.
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San Marino had previously defeated Liechtenstein with the same result back in 2004, but it was in a non-competitive match.
The team is ranked 210th in FIFA's global rankings, just behind Liechtenstein who is ranked 199th.
Considering that San Marino has only 33,000 residents, the options for skilled football players are few. The team mostly consists of amateurs who have other jobs besides playing football.
Fans who travel to support their team have sometimes been more numerous than local fans at the San Marino Stadium, which can hold up to 7,000 people, during home games.
The team has only won 9 out of the 205 games they have played. Their worst loss was at home in 2006 against Germany, where they were defeated 13-0.
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They have suffered defeats by a margin of 10 goals or more on seven occasions throughout their history.
San Marino made history in Europe by not scoring any goals in over 20 matches from 2008 to 2012.
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Even though the team has not won in a long time, there have been some memorable moments worth mentioning.
San Marino set a record for the quickest goal in FIFA World Cup qualifying history that stood for 22 years. They scored against England just 8.3 seconds into the match in 1993. However, they were ultimately defeated 7-1.
Nevertheless, being recognized as the least successful football team has positioned them as the ultimate dark horse in the sport. This has garnered them a loyal fanbase across the globe and a devoted social media fan page.
