Worst football team in the world wants first victory after 20 years

This Wednesday, 20th, San Marinolast place selection in the ranking of FIFA, is confident that he has a great chance of breaking the fast of almost 20 years without winning. The 210th placed team will play the first of two friendlies with Saint Kitts and Nevislooking for the second triumph in 203 games in its entire history.

A small territory within the Italy, San Marino has around 33 thousand inhabitants and is the fifth smallest country in the world. For comparison purposes, the population of Copacabananeighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, is almost five times larger than that. The team from the small European nation is last placed in the FIFA rankings. Rival this Wednesday, 19th, and next Sunday, 24th, the team from the Caribbean archipelago São Cristóvão e Nevis is ranked 147th. However, it has a greater history of victories, with three in 2023 alone.

San Marino score their first goal in 16 competitive games 🇸🇲#EURO2024pic.twitter.com/jytH2Mn35w

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) October 19, 2023

San Marino managed to lose 193 of the 202 games they played. The only time he won was during a friendly match against Liechtenstein1-0, in April 2004. The greatest scorer in the history of the selection is Andy Selva, who scored the goal of the occasion, having eight in total. Since then, there have been 136 games, conceding 556 goals and scoring just 19.

“The worst memory was the match against the Netherlands in 2011, which ended 11-0. There were already eight or nine and there was still a lot of time to go and I remember the fans encouraging the Netherlands to see more goals”said the attacker Matteo Vitaioli34 years old, who has played for San Marino for 17 years and has never managed to celebrate even a victory with his country’s shirt, in an interview with the “BBC”.

Vitaioli has 89 games for the small country, being the player with the most appearances in the team’s history, scoring just one goal, which came against the Lithuania in 2016. The athlete was involved in the team’s 10 defeats in Group H of the Euro qualifiers, with 31 goals conceded and only three scored. However, the attacker believes that the team has a chance against the future opponent. “It would mean being part of the history of my country’s national team, that’s why it’s the main objective. It represents an opportunity to leave a mark, something that cannot be missed. It would be something that in 2050 and beyond would be remembered, because there were so few victories.”he commented.

San Marino’s local league is amateur only. Matteo Vitaioli, for example, is a graphic designer. But the pride in representing their national team never discourages the players from the worst team in the world. The group of athletes can even celebrate small achievements, such as a single goal, which came against the Denmarkin October last year, in a 2-1 defeat.