In the world of sports, there are bad teams. And then there’s San Marino men’s soccer.
Well, on Thursday, players representing Europe’s third-smallest country gave all of the 33,660 Sammarinese population something to smile about.
San Marino — ranked dead last by FIFA at 210 — had not won a match since April of 2004 and had never won a competitive match in program history. And despite some admirable showings in recent years (like a 2-1 loss to Denmark), San Marino’s 20-year winless streak seemed endless.
That all changed in Thursday’s UEFA Nations League D group stage matchup against Liechtenstein. Behind a 58th minute goal from Nicko Sensoli — a 19-year-old in the fourth division of Italian soccer — San Marino was able to end the streak with a 1-0 win. The scenes in San Marino were electric — almost a state of shock between the players and fans in the stands.
SAN MARINO WIN A GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20+ YEARS & A COMPETITIVE MATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!!
History is made as the worst team in the FIFA rankings (210th) finally end the longest winless run in international football history (140 games dating back to April 2004)!!! pic.twitter.com/xbB3M2WQUE
This is what football is about. A group of players and their nation coming together to celebrate the milestones that are important to them. Stuff your new champions league, **this** is football https://t.co/fBkrO0GA5N
And this is why the Nations League was needed, to give these smaller nations their moment in the sun and finally have the chance to experience the joy of winning a game. Fantastic scenes, up the San Marino! https://t.co/dgRElqNHLJ
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