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San Marino are no longer the world's worst international team with one nation below them

Home> Football> Football News> FIFA World Cup

Published 15:35 4 Sep 2024 GMT+1

San Marino are no longer the world's worst international team with one nation below them

San Marino are not the worst international team in the world according to the latest rankings.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

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San Marino have not won a game for 20 years but are no longer the worst ranked nation in the world.

The minnows' last ever victory came back in April 2004 when they beat Liechtenstein at Stadio Olimpico di San Marino courtesy of Roberto Selva's free-kick.

They've lost 198 of their 204 competitive fixtures but have had their moments, notably scoring an equaliser against Denmark in Euro 2024 qualifying.

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Yussuf Poulsen ended up scoring the winner after Alessandro Golinucci levelled matters but San Marino have been improving.

They drew with Caribbean side Saint Kitts and Nevis in a friendly back in March and could finally get that long-awaited win with upcoming games against Liechtenstein and October.

A victory could move them up the FIFA world rankings, where they are currently 210th in the world and behind the likes of Anguilla, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Image: Getty
Image: Getty

However, they are not technically the lowest-ranked side. That's because Eritrea, in East Africa, are unranked at present.

They have not played a game since January 2020 when they lost to Sudan, with all their upcoming games cancelled - including 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

There has been no official comment from the Eritrean National Football Federation (ENFF) or the country's government on the national team's status.

Players from the country have therefore been left frustrated at being unable to play international football.

Image: Getty
Image: Getty

"I don't know why it has happened or who is in charge. It is clear that those at the top aren't taking football seriously enough," Eritrea midfielder Mohammed Saeid told BBC Sport Africa.

"I feel so frustrated because there are a lot of players coming through right now with Eritrean backgrounds, many playing around Europe.

"We could compete if given a chance but when they see what is happening, will they really want to represent Eritrea in the future?

"I'm going to be able to tell my kids one day that I played for the Eritrea national team and it was one of the most amazing things I've experienced. But there are now so many players being denied this opportunity."

The last update of the FIFA rankings was on July 18, with the next one taking place on September 19.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: San Marino

Josh Lawless
Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and WWE. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has covered two WrestleMania events for SPORTbible.

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