Jump to content

San Marino national football team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"San Marino football team" redirects here. For the club that competes in the Italian league system, see A.S.D. Victor San Marino.

San Marino
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)La Serenissima
AssociationFederazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio (FSGC)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachRoberto Cevoli
CaptainMatteo Vitaioli
Most capsMatteo Vitaioli (98)
Top scorerAndy Selva (8)
Home stadiumSan Marino Stadium
FIFA codeSMR
First colours
Second colours
Alternate home colours
FIFA ranking
Current 210 Steady (19 December 2024)[1]
Highest118 (September 1993)
Lowest211 (November 2018 – July 2019, March 2022 – July 2023)
First international
 San Marino 0–0 Lebanon 
(Aleppo, Syria; 16 September 1987)
FIFA recognized
 San Marino 0–4 Switzerland 
(Serravalle, San Marino; 14 November 1990)
Biggest win
 Liechtenstein 1–3 San Marino 
(Vaduz, Liechtenstein; 18 November 2024)
Biggest defeat
 San Marino 0–13 Germany 
(Serravalle, San Marino; 6 September 2006)
Mediterranean Games
Appearances4 (first in 1987)
Best resultSeventh place (1987)

The San Marino national football team (Italian: Nazionale di calcio di San Marino) represents San Marino in men's international association football competitions. The team is governed by the San Marino Football Federation and represents the smallest population of any UEFA member. They are currently the lowest-ranked FIFA-affiliated national football team, having won three matches since their inception.[3]

San Marino's first official match was a 4–0 defeat to Switzerland in a European Championship qualifier in 1990. An unofficial San Marino team played against the Canada U-23 side in 1986, losing 1–0. Since their competitive debut, San Marino has participated in the qualifiers for every European Championship and FIFA World Cup. Their first competitive win was a 1–0 victory over Liechtenstein on 5 September 2024, in the UEFA Nations League.[4] Their second competitive win was a 3–1 victory against Liechtenstein once more on the 6th matchday, on 18 November 2024. This was the first time they scored more than one goal in a competitive fixture. Subsequently, this win promoted them to League C, the third tier of the Nations League.[5]

History

[edit]

Though the San Marino Football Federation was formed in 1931, the Federation did not establish a national team until 1986, when a team representing the Federation played against the Canada U-23 team in an unofficial international, which ended in a 1–0 defeat. San Marino gained affiliation to FIFA and UEFA in 1988,[6] allowing the team to participate in major championships. Before this, Sammarinese players had been considered Italian in international football contexts.[7]

San Marino's first match in a FIFA-sanctioned competition was against Switzerland on 14 November 1990 in a qualifier for the 1992 European Championships. San Marino lost 4–0 and would lose all eight of their other qualifiers. The team struggled in away matches, losing all by at least four goals. San Marino scored only one goal, which was a penalty in a 3–1 defeat at home by Romania,[8] and conceded 33 goals in total.[9]

For their first World Cup qualifying campaign, San Marino were drawn in a group with England, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Turkey. The opening match resulted in a 10–0 defeat to Norway. The return match was less one-sided, finishing 2–0 to the Norwegians. A 4–1 defeat in Turkey saw San Marino score their first goal in a World Cup qualifier (also their first from open play), and a goalless draw against the same opposition on 10 March 1993 gave them their first-ever point. In their final qualifier against England, Davide Gualtieri scored the then-fastest goal in World Cup qualifying history after 8.3 seconds. However, San Marino went on to lose 7–1.[10] San Marino finished the campaign with one point and conceded 46 goals in 10 matches.[11]

The team's qualification campaign for UEFA Euro 1996 followed a similar pattern to the previous European championships as they lost every match. A match away to Finland gave San Marino their first goal away from home in the European Championship qualifiers. Still, the team lost 4–1.[12] Their only other goal came in a 3–1 home defeat by the Faroe Islands; the two wins over San Marino were the only points gained by the Faroe Islands in the group. In the first match, a 3–0 score in Toftir is the Faroe Islands' record competitive win.[13]

Even by Sammarinese standards, qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup was disappointing. Losing every match by three goals or more, San Marino failed to score a single goal.[14] This is the only World Cup qualifying tournament in which they have failed to score. Qualification for Euro 2000 again resulted in defeats in every match. The closest San Marino got to gaining a point was against Cyprus, a 1–0 defeat on 18 November 1998.[15]

In April 2001, San Marino gained their first ever away point, drawing 1–1 with Latvia in Riga.[16] The team ended the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying group with a new best of three goals, though one of these came in a 10–1 defeat by Belgium. In the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying, San Marino lost all eight matches, failing to score. The closest result was a 1–0 home defeat by Latvia, with the winner scored in the last minute. Latvia went on to qualify for the final tournament.[17] A 2–2 draw against Liechtenstein in a friendly in August 2003 saw the team set a new national record for most goals scored in a match; only twice since, in a 2–3 loss to Malta in another friendly nine years later, and again in their most recent victory, 3-1 over Liechtenstein in November 2024’s final match of their UEFA Nations League run, have the team scored multiple goals in a game.

In April 2004, San Marino gained their first win after more than 70 attempts, a 1–0 victory over Liechtenstein in a friendly on 28 April 2004 courtesy of a fifth-minute goal by Andy Selva. The match was Martin Andermatt's debut as Liechtenstein manager.[18] Results during qualification for the 2006 World Cup followed a similar vein to previous qualifying groups. Matches were generally one-sided defeats, except for single-goal defeats at home by Lithuania and Belgium.[19]

San Marino's opening UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match resulted in a record 13–0 defeat at home by Germany on 6 September 2006.[20] They scored only twice and conceded fifty-seven goals in losing all twelve matches. However, the home matches against Ireland, Cyprus and Wales were each lost by a single goal.[21]

In the qualification campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, they lost all ten matches and failed to qualify. They conceded 47 goals in those fixtures, including 10 in a defeat by Poland, which became Poland's highest scoring victory of all time,[22] and scored just once, in a 3–1 defeat by Slovakia.[23] The UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers started in a similar way, the first nine matches all being defeats with an aggregate of 49 goals conceded and none scored, their best result being a one-goal loss to Finland at home, with the worst being a heavy 11–0 loss to the Netherlands, which became the Netherlands' highest scoring victory of all time and San Marino's worst-ever away defeat.[24] This was then followed up by two lighter defeats, a 5–0 home loss against Sweden,[25] before completing the campaign with a 4–0 away loss to Moldova.[26]

On 10 September 2013, Alessandro Della Valle scored San Marino's first competitive goal in five years. With the score 1–0 to Poland in the Stadio Olimpico, Della Valle headed in a free-kick in the 22nd minute, beating goalkeeper Artur Boruc at his front post. Poland then regained the lead a minute later and eventually won 5–1.[27] It was the first international goal of any kind scored by San Marino since the national team lost 3–2 at home to Malta in 2012.[28]

On 15 November 2014, San Marino drew 0–0 at home against Estonia.[29] It was the first time in ten years that the team had not lost a match, ending a 61–match losing streak,[29] and securing the country's first-ever point in a European Championship qualifier.[29]

In October 2016, Mattia Stefanelli scored for San Marino in their 4–1 loss to Norway.[30]

On 16 November 2019, Filippo Berardi scored a goal in a 3–1 loss to Kazakhstan in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match—the first goal for San Marino in two years (5–1 vs. Azerbaijan on 4 September 2017) and their first home goal in six years (5–1 vs. Poland on 10 September 2013).[31]

On 13 October 2020, San Marino recorded their fourth competitive draw and their first since 2014, after their UEFA Nations League match with Liechtenstein ended 0–0.[32] A month later they made history by holding Gibraltar to a goalless draw, surviving with ten men after Davide Simoncini was sent off. This heralded several firsts for them: the first major tournament in which they had gained more than one point, the first time they had gained more than one point in a calendar year, and the first time that they had gone unbeaten without conceding a single goal in two consecutive competitive matches.[33]

On 7 December 2020, San Marino was drawn into Group I for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The team failed to get a single point and lost all their matches, including a 0–10 home defeat against England, and with a record of one goal scored, at home against Poland in a 1–7 loss, against 46 conceded.

On 28 March 2022, San Marino played the first official match in its history against a non-European team in a friendly game against Cape Verde played on a neutral venue in Spain, the result being a 2–0 loss.[34] San Marino then took on a second African side with a much lower standard than the previous one, the 198th ranked Seychelles, whom they hosted in a friendly at Stadio Olimpico on 21 September 2022. San Marino ended an 18-game losing streak with a goalless draw but disappointed overall, failing to capitalize on their chances and win at home against an opponent within its reach, who played defensively in a 4–5–1 formation.[35][36][37] The 2022–2023 edition of the UEFA Nations League saw the selection again in Group B of League D composed of three teams, but they lost their four games without scoring a goal.

On 17 October 2023, San Marino scored their first competitive goal in two years against Denmark in a 1–2 loss during UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying. They would score again against Kazakhstan on 17 November 2023, losing 3–1, and just three days later they scored again in a 2–1 loss to Finland. This marked the first time San Marino scored in three consecutive games.

Team picture of the San Marino national football team before their match against Slovakia (2024)

On 20 March 2024, San Marino scored in four straight games for the first time in their history after taking a 1–0 lead against Saint Kitts and Nevis, eventually losing 3–1. On 24 March 2024, San Marino ended a 12-game losing run with a 0–0 draw against Saint Kitts.

2024–25 UEFA Nations League

[edit]

San Marino played Liechtenstein at home in the first round of the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League on the 5th of September. After a disallowed goal for Liechtenstein in the 30th minute, Nicko Sensoli stole the ball from the Liechtenstein defence and scored to make it 1-0 in the 53rd minute. The Sammarinese then held on to claim a 1-0 victory, their first competitive win since joining FIFA and UEFA. [38] A later loss away to Gibraltar and a 1-1 draw salvaged in stoppage time by a Nicola Nanni penalty against the same side left San Marino second in the table, with the ability to advance directly to League C should they beat Liechtenstein away (by virtue of their opponents's two draws).

On 18 November 2024, San Marino played Liechtenstein in Vaduz. Despite being the more dangerous side in the first half, they were heading into the break 0-1 because of an Aron Sale 40th minute goal. After the break, they swiftly equalized with a right-wing attack culminating in Lorenzo Lazzari getting past the defence and beating the goalkeeper. In the 66th minute, San Marino won a penalty and Nanni smoothly converted it for an improbable 2-1 lead. Stunningly, just 10 minutes later, Alessandro Tosi found himself on the left side of the Liechtenstein goal and passed to substitute Alessandro Golinucci, who hit a first-time strike into the net to make it 3–1. In the end, the result stood, which meant San Marino was to be promoted to League C. It was the first time San Marino had scored more than one goal in a competitive fixture, the first time that San Marino had scored more than two goals in any fixture, the first time that San Marino had won a match from a losing position, the first time San Marino won an away match, and the first time San Marino was promoted in a major international competition.[39]

Image

[edit]

Kits

[edit]
Period Supplier
1990–1994 England Admiral
1994–2010 Italy Virma
2011–2017 Germany Adidas
2018–2022 Italy Macron
2022–Present Italy Erreà

Stadium

[edit]

San Marino play home matches at the San Marino Stadium, a municipally owned stadium in Serravalle, which also hosts the matches of club side San Marino Calcio.[40] It has a capacity of 7,000.[41] Crowds are low but there is always a fan group called "Brigata Mai 1 Gioia", mainly composed of Italians from Emilia-Romagna. On occasion, traveling supporters outnumber the Sammarinese support. For example, in the fixture against the Republic of Ireland in February 2007, 2,500 of the 3,294 crowd were Irish supporters.[42][43]

San Marino has played four "home" matches outside their borders. For World Cup qualifiers against England and the Netherlands in 1993, the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in Bologna was used, and for UEFA Nations League match against Liechtenstein in 2020 at the Stadio Romeo Neri in Rimini. A fourth match took place in the Nations League against Kazakhstan in June 2023, being played at Ennio Tardini as a new pitch was being laid at San Marino's usual stadium.[44]

Reputation

[edit]

San Marino has the smallest population of any UEFA country.[41] A 1–0 friendly win against Liechtenstein in 2004 and two UEFA Nations League wins in 2024, again over Liechtenstein, are their only victories to date.[45]

The national side is mainly composed of amateur players. Only a small number of players are at least semi-professionals, as many hold second jobs outside of the sport. Their 13–0 defeat at home against Germany was a European Championship record[20] until France eclipsed this in 2023 with a 14–0 victory over Gibraltar.[46] They have conceded ten goals on seven other separate occasions.[47]

In the FIFA World Rankings, San Marino traditionally has the lowest rank of any UEFA country. Since the creation of FIFA rankings in 1992, San Marino's average position has been 176th.[48]

San Marino held the record for the fastest goal in FIFA World Cup qualifying history for 22 years when they stunned England with a goal after only 8.3 seconds in 1993.[10] England went on to win the match 7–1.

In 2001, Latvia manager Gary Johnson resigned after failing to beat San Marino in a World Cup qualifier.[49] The Republic of Ireland's 2–1 win over San Marino in February 2007 (from a last-second goal) resulted in scathing press criticism for the Irish team.[50]

San Marino set a European record when they went over 20 matches without scoring between October 2008 and August 2012.[51] On 8 September 2015, San Marino scored its first away goal in 14 years when Matteo Vitaioli scored against Lithuania in Euro 2016 qualification.[52][53]

An interesting result of San Marino's weaknesses is that many people see them as football's biggest underdogs; as a result, they have gained a substantial following online from across the world, including a Twitter account dedicated to covering their games.[54]

Results and fixtures

[edit]
Main article: San Marino national football team results

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

[edit]
20 March 2024 Friendly San Marino  1–3  Saint Kitts and Nevis Serravalle, San Marino
20:45 CET
Report
Stadium: Olympic Stadium of Serravalle
Referee: Deborah Bianchi (Italy)
24 March 2024 Friendly San Marino  0–0  Saint Kitts and Nevis Serravalle, San Marino
20:45 CET Report Stadium: Olympic Stadium of Serravalle
Referee: Désirée Grundbacher (Switzerland)
5 June 2024 Friendly Slovakia  4–0  San Marino Wiener Neustadt, Austria
18:00 CEST
Report Stadium: Wiener Neustadt Arena
11 June 2024 Friendly San Marino  1–4  Cyprus Serravalle, San Marino
18:00 CEST Giocondi 81' Report Satsaias 45+2'
Kastanos 53', 54'
Kakoullis 83'		 Stadium: Olympic Stadium of Serravalle
5 September 2024 (2024-09-05) 2024–25 Nations League San Marino  1–0  Liechtenstein Serravalle, San Marino
20:45 Sensoli 53' Report Stadium: Serravalle, San Marino
Attendance: 914
Referee: Andris Treimanis (Latvia)
10 September 2024 Friendly Moldova  1–0  San Marino Chișinău, Moldova
18:00 CET Rață 10' Stadium: Zimbru Stadium
Attendance: 4,742
Referee: Dmytro Kubriak (Ukraine)
10 October 2024 (2024-10-10) 2024–25 Nations League Gibraltar  1–0  San Marino Europa Point, Gibraltar
20:45
Report Stadium: Europa Point Stadium
Attendance: 677
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)
13 October 2024 (2024-10-13) Friendly Andorra  2–0  San Marino Andorra La Vella, Andorra
18:00
Report Stadium: Estadi Nacional
15 November 2024 (2024-11-15) 2024–25 Nations League San Marino  1–1  Gibraltar Serravalle, San Marino
20:45 CET
Report
Stadium: Serravalle, San Marino
Attendance: 1,324
Referee: Igor Pajac (Croatia)
18 November 2024 (2024-11-18) 2024–25 Nations League Liechtenstein  1–3  San Marino Vaduz, Liechtenstein
20:45 CET Sele 40' Report Lazzari 46'
Nanni 66' (pen.)
A. Golinucci 76'		 Stadium: Rheinpark Stadion
Attendance: 1,157
Referee: Jérémie Pignard (France)

2025

[edit]
21 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Cyprus  v  San Marino TBD, Cyprus
20:45 EET Report
24 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification San Marino  v  Romania Serravalle, San Marino
20:45 CET Report Stadium: San Marino Stadium
7 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Bosnia and Herzegovina  v  San Marino TBD, Bosnia and Herzegovina
15:00 CEST Report
10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification San Marino  v  Austria Serravalle, San Marino
20:45 CEST Report Stadium: San Marino Stadium
6 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification San Marino  v  Bosnia and Herzegovina Serravalle, San Marino
20:45 CEST Report Stadium: San Marino Stadium
9 September Friendly San Marino  v TBD Serravalle, San Marino
Stadium: San Marino Stadium
9 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Austria  v  San Marino TBD, Austria
20:45 CEST Report
12 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification San Marino  v  Cyprus Serravalle, San Marino
15:00 CEST Report Stadium: San Marino Stadium
15 November Friendly San Marino  v TBD Serravalle, San Marino
Stadium: San Marino Stadium
18 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Romania  v  San Marino TBD, Romania
21:45 EET Report

Coaching staff

[edit]

Current technical staff:[55]

Head coach Roberto Cevoli
Technical assistant Leandro Vessella
Fitness coach Ivan Celli
Goalkeeping coach Carlo Magnani
Team doctor Roberto Venturini
Physiotherapist Marco Pelaccia
Physiotherapist Federico Proli
Masseur Tiziano Giacobbi
Official accompanying Michele Raschi
Match analyst Mattia Rizzo
Warehouseman Benito Ballato
Marco Crescentini
Mauro Montanari

Manager history

[edit]
As of 18 November 2024[56]
Manager Nat. Start End Matches Won Draw Lost
Giulio Casali San Marino 28 March 1986 20 September 1987 6 0 2 4
Giorgio Leoni San Marino 14 November 1990 15 November 1995 29 0 1 28
Massimo Bonini San Marino 2 June 1996 10 September 1997 8 0 0 8
Giampaolo Mazza San Marino 10 October 1998 15 October 2013 85 1 2 82
Pierangelo Manzaroli San Marino 8 June 2014 8 October 2017 28 0 1 27
Franco Varrella Italy 8 September 2018 28 November 2021 34 0 2 32
Fabrizio Costantini San Marino 28 November 2021 12 December 2023 20 0 2 18
Roberto Cevoli San Marino 15 December 2023 present 10 2 2 6

Players

[edit]
Main article: List of San Marino international footballers

Current squad

[edit]

The following players were called up for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches against Gibraltar and Liechtenstein on 15 and 18 November 2024 respectively.[57]

Caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2024 after the match against Liechtenstein.[58]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Edoardo Colombo (2001-01-24) 24 January 2001 (age 23) 10 0 Italy Forlì
1GK Matteo Zavoli (1996-07-06) 6 July 1996 (age 28) 1 0 San Marino La Fiorita
1GK Pietro Amici (2004-01-27) 27 January 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Italy Fossombrone
2DF Dante Rossi (1987-07-12) 12 July 1987 (age 37) 36 0 Italy Tropical Coriano
2DF Filippo Fabbri (2002-01-07) 7 January 2002 (age 22) 30 1 San Marino Victor San Marino
2DF Alessandro Tosi (2001-04-08) 8 April 2001 (age 23) 22 0 San Marino Victor San Marino
2DF Simone Franciosi (2001-09-03) 3 September 2001 (age 23) 10 1 Italy Arcella
2DF Giacomo Benvenuti (2006-02-03) 3 February 2006 (age 18) 5 0 Italy Sassuolo Primavera
2DF Tommaso Benvenuti (2006-02-03) 3 February 2006 (age 18) 5 0 Italy Sassuolo Primavera
2DF Giacomo Valentini (2001-06-26) 26 June 2001 (age 23) 4 0 San Marino Juvenes/Dogana
2DF Marco Pasolini (2003-04-26) 26 April 2003 (age 21) 3 0 Italy Pietracuta
3MF Alessandro Golinucci (1994-10-10) 10 October 1994 (age 30) 57 2 San Marino Virtus
3MF Marcello Mularoni (1998-09-08) 8 September 1998 (age 26) 46 0 San Marino Cosmos
3MF Enrico Golinucci (1991-07-16) 16 July 1991 (age 33) 43 0 San Marino Folgore
3MF Michael Battistini (1996-10-08) 8 October 1996 (age 28) 31 0 San Marino Tre Penne
3MF Lorenzo Lazzari (2003-06-06) 6 June 2003 (age 21) 16 2 San Marino Victor San Marino
3MF Andrea Contadini (2002-08-18) 18 August 2002 (age 22) 10 0 Italy Pietracuta
3MF Samuele Zannoni (2002-04-29) 29 April 2002 (age 22) 6 0 Italy Pietracuta
4FW Matteo Vitaioli (captain) (1989-10-27) 27 October 1989 (age 35) 97 1 San Marino La Fiorita
4FW Nicola Nanni (2000-05-02) 2 May 2000 (age 24) 42 3 Italy Torres
4FW Filippo Berardi (1997-05-18) 18 May 1997 (age 27) 33 3 Italy Vibonese
4FW Nicko Sensoli (2005-06-14) 14 June 2005 (age 19) 9 1 San Marino Victor San Marino
4FW Nicolas Giacopetti (2006-06-05) 5 June 2006 (age 18) 5 0 San Marino San Marino Academy

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players have been called up within the last 12 months and are still eligible to represent.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Mirco De Angelis (2000-03-03) 3 March 2000 (age 24) 0 0 San Marino Virtus v.  Gibraltar, 15 November 2024
DF Michele Cevoli (1998-07-22) 22 July 1998 (age 26) 28 0 San Marino Juvenes/Dogana v.  Gibraltar, 15 November 2024 SUS
DF Alessandro D'Addario (1997-09-09) 9 September 1997 (age 27) 34 0 San Marino Cosmos v.  Moldova, 10 September 2024
DF Mirko Palazzi (1987-03-21) 21 March 1987 (age 37) 75 1 San Marino Tre Penne Training Stage, August 2024
DF Andrea Magi (2001-02-03) 3 February 2001 (age 23) 3 0 Italy Diegaro Training Stage, August 2024
DF Alberto Guerra (2004-01-13) 13 January 2004 (age 20) 0 0 San Marino Tre Fiori Training Stage, August 2024
DF Manuel Battistini (1994-07-11) 11 July 1994 (age 30) 53 0 San Marino Virtus v.  Saint Kitts and Nevis, 24 March 2024
DF Andrea Grandoni (1997-03-23) 23 March 1997 (age 27) 37 0 San Marino La Fiorita v.  Saint Kitts and Nevis, 24 March 2024
DF Giacomo Matteoni (2002-04-11) 11 April 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Italy Pietracuta Training Stage, January 2024
MF Matteo Valli Casadei (2005-06-01) 1 June 2005 (age 19) 6 0 Italy Vanchiglia v.  Gibraltar, 15 November 2024 SUS
MF Simone Giocondi (2002-04-28) 28 April 2002 (age 22) 3 1 Italy Tivoli v.  Gibraltar, 15 November 2024
MF Giacomo Molinari (2005-03-20) 20 March 2005 (age 19) 0 0 San Marino San Marino Academy v.  Andorra, 13 October 2024
MF Lorenzo Capicchioni (2002-01-19) 19 January 2002 (age 22) 14 0 Italy Asta Taverne v.  Moldova, 10 September 2024
MF Andrea Dolcini (2003-04-14) 14 April 2003 (age 21) 0 0 San Marino Fiorentino Training Stage, January 2024
FW Samuel Pancotti (2000-10-31) 31 October 2000 (age 24) 7 0 San Marino La Fiorita v.  Cyprus, 11 June 2024
FW Marco Gasperoni (2004-05-16) 16 May 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Italy Vis Novafeltria v.  Slovakia, 5 June 2024

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to a non-injury issue.

Records

[edit]
Main article: List of San Marino international footballers
As of 18 November 2024[59]
Players in bold are still active with San Marino.

Most capped players

[edit]
Matteo Vitaioli is San Marino's most capped player with 97 caps.
Rank Player Caps Goals Years
1 Matteo Vitaioli 97[60] 1 2007–present
2 Mirko Palazzi 75 1 2005–present
3 Andy Selva 73 8 1998–2016
4 Davide Simoncini 69 0 2006–2021
Damiano Vannucci 69 0 1996–2012
6 Alessandro Della Valle 65 1 2002–2017
Aldo Junior Simoncini 65 0 2006–2023
8 Simone Bacciocchi 60 0 1998–2013
Adolfo Hirsch 60 0 2011–2023
10 Alessandro Golinucci 57 2 2015–present

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Andy Selva is San Marino's all-time top scorer with 8 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Years
1 Andy Selva 8 73 0.11 1998–2016
2 Filippo Berardi 3 33 0.09 2016–present
Nicola Nanni 3 42 0.07 2018–present
4 Lorenzo Lazzari 2 16 0.13 2022–present
Manuel Marani 2 32 0.06 2003–2012
Alessandro Golinucci 2 57 0.04 2015–present

Competitive record

[edit]

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to Mexico 1986 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Italy 1990 Did not enter Did not enter
United States 1994 Did not qualify 10 0 1 9 2 46
France 1998 8 0 0 8 0 42
South Korea Japan 2002 8 0 1 7 3 30
Germany 2006 10 0 0 10 2 40
South Africa 2010 10 0 0 10 1 47
Brazil 2014 10 0 0 10 1 54
Russia 2018 10 0 0 10 2 51
Qatar 2022 10 0 0 10 1 46
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Spain Portugal Morocco 2030[a]
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 0/9 – – – – – – 76 0 2 74 12 356

UEFA European Championship

[edit]
UEFA European Championship record UEFA European Championship Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 Declined participation Declined participation
Spain 1964
Italy 1968
Belgium 1972
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1976
Italy 1980
France 1984
West Germany 1988
Sweden 1992 Did not qualify 8 0 0 8 1 33
England 1996 10 0 0 10 2 36
Belgium Netherlands 2000 8 0 0 8 1 44
Portugal 2004 8 0 0 8 0 30
Austria Switzerland 2008 12 0 0 12 2 57
Poland Ukraine 2012 10 0 0 10 0 53
France 2016 10 0 1 9 1 36
Europe 2020 10 0 0 10 1 51
Germany 2024 10 0 0 10 3 31
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total 0/17 — – – – – – – 86 0 1 85 11 371

UEFA Nations League

[edit]
UEFA Nations League record
League phase Finals
Season LG Grp Pos. Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK Year Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad
2018–19 D 2 4th 6 0 0 6 0 16 Same position 55th Portugal 2019 Did not qualify
2020–21 D 2 3rd 4 0 2 2 0 3 Same position 54th Italy 2021
2022–23 D 2 3rd 4 0 0 4 0 9 Same position 54th Netherlands 2023
2024–25 D 1 1st 4 2 1 1 5 3 Rise 50th 2025
2026–27 C TBD To be determined 2027
Total 18 2 3 13 5 31 50th Total — — — — — — — —

Mediterranean Games

[edit]
Mediterranean Games record
Year Round Pld W D L GF GA
1951–1983 did not enter
Syria 1987 Group stage 3 0 1 2 0 7
1991–present See San Marino national under-23 team
Total 1/1 3 0 1 2 0 7

All-time record

[edit]
Further information: San Marino national football team results

As of 18 November 2024

Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD WPCT
 Albania 4 0 0 4 0 13 −13 0.00
 Andorra 4 0 0 4 0 9 −9 0.00
 Austria 2 0 0 2 1 11 −10 0.00
 Azerbaijan 2 0 0 2 1 6 −5 0.00
 Belarus 2 0 0 2 0 7 −7 0.00
 Belgium 8 0 0 8 3 46 −43 0.00
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 0 0 2 1 6 −5 0.00
 Bulgaria 2 0 0 2 0 7 −7 0.00
 Cape Verde 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 0.00
 Croatia 3 0 0 3 0 18 −18 0.00
 Cyprus 7 0 0 7 1 22 −21 0.00
 Czech Republic 6 0 0 6 0 31 −31 0.00
 Denmark 2 0 0 2 1 6 −5 0.00
 England 8 0 0 8 1 52 −51 0.00
 Estonia 5 0 1 4 0 9 −9 0.00
 Faroe Islands 2 0 0 2 1 6 −5 0.00
 Finland 6 0 0 6 2 23 −21 0.00
 Germany 4 0 0 4 0 34 −34 0.00
 Gibraltar 4 0 2 2 1 3 −2 0.00
 Greece 2 0 0 2 0 6 −6 0.00
 Hungary 6 0 0 6 0 26 −26 0.00
 Iceland 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 0.00
 Israel 2 0 0 2 0 12 −12 0.00
 Italy 3 0 0 3 0 15 −15 0.00
 Kazakhstan 4 0 0 4 2 13 −11 0.00
 Kosovo 1 0 0 1 1 4 −3 0.00
 Latvia 5 0 1 4 1 9 −8 0.00
 Liechtenstein 8 3 2 3 7 7 0 37.50
 Lithuania 5 0 0 5 2 11 −9 0.00
 Luxembourg 2 0 0 2 0 6 −6 0.00
 Malta 3 0 0 3 2 6 −4 0.00
 Moldova 9 0 0 9 0 18 −18 0.00
 Montenegro 2 0 0 2 0 9 −9 0.00
 Netherlands 6 0 0 6 0 39 −39 0.00
 Northern Ireland 6 0 0 6 0 19 −19 0.00
 Norway 4 0 0 4 1 24 −23 0.00
 Poland 10 0 0 10 2 45 −43 0.00
 Republic of Ireland 2 0 0 2 1 7 −6 0.00
 Romania 3 0 0 3 1 10 −9 0.00
 Russia 4 0 0 4 0 25 −25 0.00
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2 0 1 1 1 3 −2 0.00
 Saint Lucia 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 0.00
 Scotland 8 0 0 8 0 27 −27 0.00
 Serbia and Montenegro 2 0 0 2 0 8 −8 0.00
 Seychelles 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.00
 Slovakia 5 0 0 5 1 26 −25 0.00
 Slovenia 7 0 0 7 0 26 −26 0.00
 Spain 4 0 0 4 0 26 −26 0.00
 Sweden 4 0 0 4 0 22 −22 0.00
  Switzerland 4 0 0 4 0 22 −22 0.00
 Turkey 4 0 1 3 1 16 −15 0.00
 Ukraine 2 0 0 2 0 17 −17 0.00
 Wales 4 0 0 4 1 16 −15 0.00
Total 211 3 10 198 38 834 −796 1.42
Source: Results

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Additional matches are scheduled to be played in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first world cup, however they are not considered to be official hosts of the tournament.[61]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 16 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  3. ^ "9 Reasons Why San Marino Really Is the Worst Football Team of All Time". complex.com. Complex Media. 9 October 2014. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  4. ^ Onyeagwara, Nnamdi (5 September 2023). "San Marino celebrate first win for 20 years with 1–0 victory over Liechtenstein". The Athletic via The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Liechtenstein 1-3 San Marino: Visitors earn promotion with first ever away win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Il Calcio Sammarinese Si Organizza" (in Italian). San Marino Football Federation. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  7. ^ "Just rewards for modest man". UEFA. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  8. ^ "Romania National Team 1990–1999". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  9. ^ "European Championship 1992". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 7 December 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  10. ^ a b "San Marino Hero Who Humiliated England". This Is London. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  11. ^ "World Cup 1994 qualifications". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  12. ^ "European Championship 1996". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 7 July 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  13. ^ "Faroes prove fearsome foes". UEFA. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2007.
  14. ^ "World Cup 1998 qualifications". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  15. ^ "European Championship 2000". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  16. ^ "Group 4: Latvia long for revenge". UEFA. 20 November 2002. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  17. ^ "Own goal denies San Marino". UEFA. 20 November 2002. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  18. ^ "Selva the saviour for San Marino". UEFA. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  19. ^ "World Cup 2006 qualifications". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  20. ^ a b "San Marino 0–13 Germany: Record breakers". ESPN. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  21. ^ "European Championship 2008". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
  22. ^ "Big guns fire as Poland cut loose". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  23. ^ "World Cup 2010 qualifications". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  24. ^ "San Marino on the end of record Netherlands win". UEFA. 2 September 2011. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  25. ^ "San Marino vs Sweden, 6 September 2011". eu-football.info. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  26. ^ "Moldova vs San Marino, 11 October 2011". eu-football.info. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  27. ^ "San Marino vs Poland, 10 September 2013, World Cup qualification". eu-football.info. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  28. ^ "San Marino vs Malta, 14 August 2012". eu-football.info. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  29. ^ a b c "San Marino 0–0 Estonia". BBC Sport. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  30. ^ "Norway v San Marino". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  31. ^ "San Marino score their first goal for two years – and their first home goal since 2013". givemesport.com. 16 November 2019. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  32. ^ "Minnows San Marino end 40-game losing streak". JOE.co.uk. 14 October 2020. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  33. ^ "Rossi: San Marino now know we can compete". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  34. ^ "San Marino vs. Cabo Verde – 28 March 2022 – Soccerway". us.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  35. ^ Fall El Hadji Ibrahima (22 September 2022). "Amical : les Seychelles résistent à Saint-Marin". Sport News Africa. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  36. ^ "Saint-Marin met fin face aux Seychelles à une série de 18 défaites d'affilée". L'Équipe. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  37. ^ Édouard Maréchal (22 September 2022). "Saint-Marin proche d'un nouveau miracle dans son histoire". Walfoot. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  38. ^ Gordon, Charlie (5 September 2024). "San Marino win first match in 20 years as Nations League upset sparks euphoria". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  39. ^ "Liechtenstein 1 San Marino 3". BBC Sport. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  40. ^ DigitalFC. "Stadio Olimpico, home to San Marino, SS Cosmos, SS Folgore Falciano Calcio, AC Juvenes/Dogana, San Marino Calcio, SP La Fiorita, AC Libertas – Football Ground Map". www.footballgroundmap.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  41. ^ a b "Does Size Matter?" (PDF). Football Supporters Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2007. (pdf)
  42. ^ "Ireland stumble past San Marino". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  43. ^ "San Marino 1–2 Rep of Ireland". BBC. 7 February 2007. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  44. ^ UEFA.com. "San Marino-Kazakhstan | Match info | European Qualifiers 2024". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  45. ^ "Playing for dignity: San Marino and their only win in the history, so far". FIFA. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023."Liechtenstein VS San Marino".
  46. ^ "Ruthless France thrash Gibraltar 14–0 in record men's Euros qualifying win". The Observer. 18 November 2023. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  47. ^ Johnson, Jack (23 March 2023). "Have San Marino ever won a professional match? Minnows begin Euro 2024 qualification campaign against Northern Ireland". Talksport. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  48. ^ "FIFA Rankings – San Marino". FIFA. Archived from the original on 15 June 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
  49. ^ Various (2006). Power, Corruption and Pies, Volume 2. WSC Books. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-9540134-8-6.
  50. ^ "Irish media heap scorn on meager win in San Marino". Reuters. 8 February 2007. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2007.
  51. ^ "Did You Know... San Marino Are World Record Breakers". soccerlists.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  52. ^ "Euro 2016 qualifying: San Marino score first away goal in 14 years". British Broadcasting Company. 9 September 2015. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  53. ^ "Latest San Marino Results, Fixtures & Betting Odds | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  54. ^ Taylor, Daniel. "A week with San Marino – the worst international football team in the world". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  55. ^ "Nazionale". Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  56. ^ "European Football". Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  57. ^ "Nazionale: tornano tra i convocati Michael Battistini, Simone Franciosi e Pietro Amici". sanmarinortv.sm (in Italian).
  58. ^ url=https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/11/15/europe/uefa-nations-league/san-marino/gibraltar/4319732/
  59. ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "San Marino – Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2005.
  60. ^ "Vitaioli e la nazionale: "Con Cevoli una ventata di novità, i giovani hanno quel tocco di follia che serve"". sanmarinortv.sm (in Italian). 12 December 2024.
  61. ^ FIFA. "FIFA Council takes key decisions on FIFA World Cup editions in 2030 and 2034". FIFA. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Marino national association football team.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Marino_national_football_team&oldid=1264774720"