Everyone loves a loser. Or, at least, we love the story of a team that stays in the fight when the odds are basically nonexistent. For years, the san marino football team has been the ultimate trivia answer—the "worst team in the world" according to the FIFA rankings. People talk about them like they’re a group of Sunday league players who wandered onto a pitch with Harry Kane. Honestly, that’s just not the reality anymore.
Things changed in 2024. Dramatically.
If you haven’t been paying attention to the Nations League, you missed a tiny nation making massive history. They didn't just win a game; they won two. They got promoted. They actually finished top of their group. For a country with a population of about 33,000—roughly the size of a small English town—that’s not just a "good run." It's a miracle.
The Night Everything Flipped in Vaduz
On November 18, 2024, the san marino football team walked into the Rheinpark Stadion in Liechtenstein and did something they had never done in their entire history. They came from behind to win an away match. It sounds small, but think about it: for 20 years, they hadn't won a single competitive game. Not one.
Then, suddenly, the scoreboard read 3-1.
Lorenzo Lazzari, Nicola Nanni, and Alessandro Golinucci became national heroes in 90 minutes. Before this, San Marino had never scored three goals in a single competitive match. You’ve probably seen the videos of the celebrations. It wasn't just "we won a game" energy; it was "we just conquered the world" energy.
Breaking the 20-Year Curse
To understand why that win mattered, you have to look at the drought.
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- April 2004: Their last win before the 2024 explosion (a 1-0 friendly against Liechtenstein).
- The Gap: Over 140 games without a victory.
- The Goals: There were years where they didn't find the back of the net once.
Most teams would have folded. The san marino football team didn't. They kept showing up to get beaten 10-0 by England or 13-0 by Germany (their heaviest ever defeat back in 2006). They took the hits and kept coming back. That sort of resilience is rare in modern sports where everything is about immediate ROI and "winning cultures."
Who Actually Plays for La Serenissima?
You’ll often hear commentators say the team is made up of "doctors and accountants." It’s a bit of a cliché, though not entirely false. Some of the guys do have day jobs. But the level of professionalism has stepped up a lot under manager Roberto Cevoli.
Take Nicola Nanni, for example. He’s a professional striker. He knows where the goal is. Then you have the veterans like Matteo Vitaioli, who has over 100 caps. Imagine playing 100 times for your country and losing 95 of those games. That takes a specific kind of mental toughness that most elite Premier League players will never have to develop.
The Roberto Cevoli Effect
Cevoli took over in late 2023. He didn't just want to "lose respectably." He wanted to play football. Under his guidance, the team started pressing higher. They started keeping the ball. In their 2024 Nations League campaign, they actually had a positive goal difference. Think about that. San Marino. Positive goal difference. It feels like a glitch in the Matrix.
Ranking and the FIFA "Last Place" Label
As of late 2025 and heading into early 2026, the san marino football team is often still sitting at 210th in the FIFA rankings. It’s a bit of a quirk of the points system. Because they play so few games, and because they spent decades losing, it takes a long time to climb out of that basement.
But rankings are sort of a lie.
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If you put San Marino against some of the teams ranked 190th or 200th right now, they’d probably win. They’ve developed a tactical discipline that makes them much harder to break down than they were a decade ago. They aren't just a "bye" week for mid-tier European nations anymore.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that they don’t care about the losses. I’ve seen people suggest they should just stop playing because "what’s the point?"
The point is sovereignty.
San Marino is one of the oldest republics in the world. Their national team is a symbol of that independence. Every time they step onto a pitch against Italy or Spain, they are asserting that they belong. Every goal they score—like Filippo Fabbri’s header or a Nanni penalty—is celebrated like a Champions League winner because, for them, it carries that much weight.
Why the Nations League Changed Everything
Before the Nations League, San Marino was trapped in a cycle of doom. They would play World Cup or Euro qualifiers and get drawn against giants. They’d lose 6-0 to France, then 5-0 to Poland. There was no room to breathe.
The Nations League put them in a room with teams their own size.
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- Gibraltar
- Liechtenstein
- Andorra
Suddenly, the games were 50/50. They could actually use the ball. They could practice attacking patterns instead of just parking a literal bus in front of the goal. Their promotion to League C means they’ll be facing tougher opposition soon—teams like Cyprus or Belarus—but they’re going into those games with a confidence that didn't exist two years ago.
The Future: 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Right now, the team is neck-deep in the 2026 World Cup qualification cycle. It’s tough. They’ve had some heavy nights recently—a 10-0 loss to Austria in October 2025 and a 7-1 result against Romania in November. But even in that Romania game, Nicolas Giacopetti scored in the 2nd minute. They took the lead against a team that made the Euros.
That’s progress.
They are no longer a team that just hopes to keep the score under five. They are a team that expects to create chances.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're a football fan looking for a "second team" or a bettor looking at the markets, here is what you need to know about the san marino football team moving forward:
- Don't bet on the "to nil" market blindly. San Marino is scoring more frequently than at any point in the last 30 years.
- Watch the youth. Many of their newer players are coming through Italian academies (like the Benvenuti twins at Sassuolo). The technical ceiling is rising.
- Follow the home games. The San Marino Stadium in Serravalle is becoming a fortress—sort of. They are much harder to beat at home than on the road.
- Respect the process. Roberto Cevoli has a contract through the next cycle. Stability is their best friend right now.
The san marino football team isn't a joke. They are a professional outfit representing a tiny, proud nation. They’ve proven that even the longest losing streaks can be broken with enough patience and a few good transitions. Next time you see them on the fixture list, don't just check how many they conceded. Check if they scored. Because lately, they probably have.
To stay updated on their progress, you can follow the official FSGC (Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio) website or keep an eye on the UEFA Nations League standings as they prepare for their debut in League C. Watching their highlights isn't just about the football; it's about seeing what happens when a group of people refuses to give up on a dream, no matter how many times they're told it's impossible.