San Marino finally ended a 20-year winless streak by beating Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League.

FIFA’s lowest-ranked team, at the bottom of the federation’s 210 national teams, had won just one match in the past, in 2004, 1-0 against the same opponent. On Wednesday night, they added to that tally when Nicko Sensoli scored to beat their opponents in 199th place.

It was the first time they had achieved a competitive victory, the previous victory over Liechtenstein having been a friendly.

Sensoli, a 19-year-old midfielder who plays for Sangiuliano in the semi-professional fourth division of Italian football, scored San Marino’s first shot on target of the match in the 53rd minute.

He took advantage of a defensive error by Liechtenstein’s Sandro Wieser and fired the ball over goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel into the net, sparking euphoric scenes at San Marino’s Stadio Olimpico.

San Marino players celebrate their historic goal (Viaplay)

Despite eight agonising minutes of added time and desperate defending in the closing stages, that goal was enough to end a remarkable run without a win that eventually stretched to 140 games.

After the final whistle, there was more cheering as the San Marino coaching staff and substitutes ran onto the pitch, while several Liechtenstein players fell to the grass – possibly in embarrassment or disappointment.

🇸🇲 SAN MARINO WIN A RACE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20+ YEARS AND FOR THE FIRST TIME A COMPETITIVE RACE!!!

History is made as the worst team in the FIFA rankings (210th place) finally ends the longest winning streak in the history of international football (140 games since April 2004)!!! photo.twitter.com/xbB3M2WQUE

— The Sweeper (@SweeperPod) September 5, 2024

The result also means that San Marino, improbably, currently sit top of their three-team Nations League group, with the other side, Gibraltar, yet to play a match.

San Marino, a country of just over 30,000 people surrounded by northeastern Italy and measuring just 61 square kilometres, has become synonymous with footballing woes due to the team’s struggle to end a winless streak.

While Eritrea, which has not played a single match since 2020, is not officially listed in the FIFA rankings, San Marino has been at the bottom of the world rankings since November 2023.

Their home stadium with a capacity of 6,600 spectators is often only half full during matches, sometimes even more travelling supporters than the home team.

San Marino have suffered a number of heavy defeats since their first official match in 1990, including a 13–0 loss to Germany in 2006, and have never won a match in a qualifying phase for a major tournament.

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However, they have caused some unrest among big countries, as evidenced by the fact that Davide Gualtieri scored the fastest goal in a World Cup qualifier against England in 1993, after eight seconds, in a match that was eventually lost 7-1.

It was around the same time that San Marino reached their highest ever FIFA ranking of 118, but since then their football story has been one of relentless struggle – until tonight.

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(Top photo: Giuseppe Maffia/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)/Getty Images)