How San Marino, World’s Worst Team, Got Historic Nations League Promotion
Second-half goals from Lorenzo Lazzari, Nicola Nanni and Alessandro Golinucci gave San Marino their first-ever away win, and finished top of Group D1 with seven points.
San Marino, the world’s lowest ranked nation in football, scripted history as they gained promotion to the third tier of the Uefa Nations League with the first away win in their history. They defeated Liechtenstein 1-3 in a group game to record their second win in 20 years.
It was also the first time San Marino scored more than once in a competitive game and the first time they had scored three goals in any match.
The tiny nation’s two previous victories also came against Liechtenstein – a friendly in 2004 and a Nations League game in September, both 1-0 and both in San Marino.
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The country, which has a population of little more than 30,000, is ranked 210th in the Fifa world rankings, and have lost 199 of the 211 fixtures they have contested.
Roberto Cevoli, who joined San Marino’s manager last year, has now led them to two wins in 10 games.
Liechtenstein vs San Marino: How the game played out
Liechtenstein, ranked 200th, took the lead with Aron Sele crashing in an effort from outside the box.
Second-half goals from Lorenzo Lazzari, Nicola Nanni and Alessandro Golinucci gave San Marino their first-ever away win, and finished top of Group D1 with seven points, one above Gibraltar, while Liechtenstein ended up bottom with two points after four games.
Liechtenstein’s last competitive win was in 2020, a 2-0 victory against this very opponent.
“Finishing that first half 1-0 down was an insult to football, but the boys were brilliant and deserved what they’ve managed to achieve,” said boss Cevoli.
Nanni has become the country’s joint second top scorer with three goals – while Lazzari and Golinucci join a list of only six players to score more than once for San Marino.
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Marco Tura, the president of San Marino’s Football Federation, said: “These boys made history tonight.
“As people, as athletes, as men they have shown what they are worth. I cried with the boys.”
San Marino have not only achieved a promotion, they now hold a chance of being in the World Cup play-offs in March 2026. A lot still depends on results in the qualifying groups over the next 12 months.