San Marino make history
Liechtenstein 1 - 3 San Marino
San Marino, the world's lowest-ranked football team, made history with their first-ever away win, securing promotion to the third tier of the Nations League by defeating Liechtenstein.
It was a night of firsts for the tiny nation. Not only was this their inaugural away victory, but it was also the first time they scored more than once in a competitive match and the first time they netted three goals in a single game.
Remarkably, San Marino's only previous wins also came against Liechtenstein—a 1-0 friendly triumph in 2004 and a narrow Nations League victory by the same scoreline in September, both on home soil.
Ranked 210th in the FIFA rankings, San Marino’s footballing history has been one of struggles, with 199 defeats in their 211 matches and seven games where they’ve conceded 10 or more goals. However, under head coach Roberto Cevoli, who took charge last year after managing in Italy's lower leagues, progress has been made, with two wins now recorded in 10 matches.
What's the point of the UEFA Nations League?
Even more impressively, this victory marked the first time San Marino had come from behind to win. Liechtenstein, ranked 200th, took an early lead when Aron Sele unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box.
An amazing night for San Marino last night. More reaction here - eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com/search/label...
— European Super Football (@superfootball.bsky.social) 19 November 2024 at 17:45
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San Marino responded moments after the break, with Lorenzo Lazzari latching onto a long ball and firing home the equaliser. Nicola Nanni then coolly converted a penalty to put them ahead, and Alessandro Golinucci sealed the win with a composed first-time finish from 10 yards out.
Nanni’s penalty also elevated him to joint-second on San Marino's all-time scoring list with three goals. Lazzari and Golinucci join a select group of just six players to have scored more than once for their country.
At full-time in Vaduz, the San Marino bench erupted with joy, running onto the pitch to celebrate alongside their small but passionate travelling supporters.
San Marino finished one point above Gibraltar, having kept their promotion hopes alive with a dramatic injury-time penalty from Nanni in a 1-1 draw on Friday.
For Liechtenstein, it was another disappointing chapter—their last competitive win, coincidentally, was a 2-0 victory over San Marino back in 2020.
A closer look at the history of football in San Marino
Many people view them as the biggest underdogs in football; consequently, they have developed a significant online following from around the globe, including dedicated social media accounts that cover their games.
The national side has been traditionally composed of amateur players. Only a small number of players have even been semi-professionals.
You can discover more San Marino news and stories by clicking here.
