San Marino End 20-Year Drought with Long-Awaited Victory

San Marino made history by securing their first-ever competitive victory with a win over Liechtenstein in the Nations League.

By: Anna Ciao

09/06/2024 02:08

San Marino End 20-Year Drought with Long-Awaited Victory — *San Marino Win a Match for the First Time in 20 Years.*

With this victory, the world's lowest-ranked team by FIFA, San Marino, finally ended the longest winless streak in football, which spanned over two decades and 140 games. Their last triumph came in a 2004 friendly, also against Liechtenstein with the same scoreline, marking only their second-ever win.

The historic goal came from 19-year-old Nicko Sensoli, who plays in Italy's fourth tier. He scored in the 53rd minute, lobbing Liechtenstein goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel, triggering wild celebrations. San Marino then held on defensively to secure the landmark win after years of heavy defeats.

Of the 206 matches they’ve played, San Marino has lost 196, including a 10-0 defeat by England in a World Cup qualifier in 2021.

However, signs of improvement have emerged recently. In October 2022, they scored their first competitive goal in two years in a narrow 2-1 loss to Denmark in a Euro 2024 qualifier, and in March, they drew 0-0 with Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Nestled around Italy and dominated by the striking Mount Titano, San Marino has a population of just 33,000, covering only 61 square kilometers—about half the size of Manchester.

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Written by: Anna Ciao

Anna Ciao is a sports content contributor at Betimate. Born and raised in a rural village in China, I have had a passion for football and various sports such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, from a young age. Along with diligent studies, I achieved an IELTS score of 8.0 in the English language, and I have become a content contributor specializing in sports, particularly football, as I am today. I hope that my articles are helpful to readers.

San Marino UEFA Nations League

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