San Marino made history by beating Liechtenstein in the Nations League for their first competitive victory since 2004 on Thursday night.
FIFA’s lowest-ranked side ended their 140-match winless run, last winning against the same opponents 20 years ago in a friendly.
It is San Marino’s second victory, and the winning goal came courtesy of 19-year-old Nick Sensoli, an Italian fourth-tier player.
He netted in the 53rd minute, running in to volley the ball over the onrushing Benjamin Buchel in goal for Liechtenstein.
There were scenes of chaos among the players following the goal, an activity they don’t often get to engage in.
They then managed to hold on for an excruciating 30+ minutes to guarantee the three points, prompting an outpour of relief across the stadium.
SAN MARINO WON. THAT’S THE TWEET.
— San Marino fan account (@SanMarino_FA) September 5, 2024
Of the 206 fixtures they have played in, 196 have been losses, including a 10-0 defeat to England three years ago.
But since then, they have improved significantly, scoring their first competitive goal in two years in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Denmark.
They then drew 0-0 with Saint Kitts and Nevis back in March, before picking up the win in a stadium overlooked by some incredible Italian mountains.
