San Marino Celebrates Historic Soccer Victory Over Liechtenstein

San Marino’s Historic Victory in Men’s Soccer

When you glance at the men’s world soccer rankings, it’s hard to miss the prominent presence of powerhouse teams like Argentina, France, and Spain at the top. As you scroll further down, you encounter strong contenders such as the United States and Australia, followed by respectable teams like Honduras and Armenia. Continuing down the list, you arrive at nations like Mongolia and Djibouti, and even smaller island nations such as Guam and Anguilla. However, at the very bottom of this extensive list, you will find San Marino, ranked an unfortunate 210th, holding the title of the lowest-ranked team in global soccer.

Being the worst team in soccer often translates to a long string of defeats. In fact, San Marino had not celebrated a victory in any men’s soccer match since 2004, and that win was merely a friendly encounter. Since their official competitive debut in 1990, they had faced the bitter taste of defeat without a single triumph until this week.

In a thrilling turn of events, San Marino triumphed over Liechtenstein (ranked 199th) with a narrow score of 1-0 during a match played on their home turf. The joyous victory unfolded before a crowd of fewer than 1,000 enthusiastic fans.

“We had a great performance,” expressed Dante Rossi, a 37-year-old defender for San Marino, who had never before experienced the exhilaration of winning at this level. “To beat Liechtenstein has been an incredible joy. It is complicated to find the right words to describe the massive emotions we felt.”

The decisive goal was scored by Nicko Sensoli, a 19-year-old midfielder who, notably, was not even born when San Marino last tasted victory. “I’m over the moon,” he exclaimed after the match. “To win at home in front of your family and fans is just something that is priceless.”