San Marino has finally ended its 20-year wait for a victory, triumphing over Liechtenstein 1-0 in the Nations League on Thursday night.
This marked only the second win in San Marino‘s 206-match history, their first being against the same opponent back in 2004.
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After two decades and being ranked last in FIFA at position 210, San Marino has finally celebrated another win.
During the intervening 140 matches since their last victory, the team suffered numerous heavy defeats, including losses of 13-0, 11-0, and 10-0 against Germany, the Netherlands, and England in 2006, 2011, and 2021, respectively.
But this time, they are no longer the butt of jokes, thanks to Nicko Sensoli, who etched his name in history by scoring the match-winning goal at the San Marino Stadium.
Remarkably, Sensoli wasn’t even born when San Marino achieved its first win 20 years ago.
The 19-year-old midfielder, currently on loan at Serie D club Sangiuliano, broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute by exploiting a defensive blunder from Sandro Wieser, deftly chipping the ball over the chasing goalkeeper, Benjamin Buchel, who could only deflect it as it rolled into the net.
The goal ignited frenzied celebrations among Sensoli’s teammates, who then fiercely defended their lead in the match’s closing moments.
The joy and relief were palpable at the final whistle, cementing the status of each player as a hero in San Marino’s football history.
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Right after the match, the San Marino official X account playfully beckoned Europe’s elite teams, stating, « Come Spain, Germany, France, England. Come play with us now, we’re not that good. »
Before the match, San Marino captain Matteo Vitaioli, who has been with the national team for nearly 20 years, shared the ‘burden’ they felt in trying to break the streak. He remarked to the BBC: « Being part of the national team for nearly two decades has highlighted the importance of team spirit and the ability to unite as a solid group, especially during tough matches. »
However, the 34-year-old was not selected to play against Liechtenstein as San Marino made history with their first competitive victory.
This win puts them at the top of their three-nation group in D1, with Gibraltar as their other opponent.
For San Marino fans, this victory has long been anticipated, especially after close misses in recent matches, including a narrow 2-1 loss to Denmark in a Euro 2024 qualifier and defeats against Kazakhstan and Finland.
In their match against Liechtenstein, they faced an equally struggling side ranked 199th in FIFA, just 11 places above them. Unlike San Marino, however, Liechtenstein wasn’t on a 140-match winless streak but was instead seeking to end a 40-match drought since their last victory in October 2020 against Luxembourg.
San Marino will now aim for consecutive wins when they face FIFA-ranked 152nd Moldova in a friendly next week.
Meanwhile, Liechtenstein hopes to break its winless run against 198th-ranked Gibraltar this Sunday in their next Nations League fixture.
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