kids encyclopedia robot

San Marino national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
"San Marino football team" redirects here. For the club that competes in the Italian league system, see A.S.D. Victor San Marino.
Quick facts for kids
San Marino
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) La Serenissima
Association Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio (FSGC)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Roberto Cevoli
Captain Matteo Vitaioli
Most caps Matteo Vitaioli (98)
Top scorer Andy Selva (8)
Home stadium San Marino Stadium
FIFA code SMR
First colours
Second colours
Alternate home colours
FIFA ranking
Current 211 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 118 (September 1993)
Lowest 211 (November 2018 – July 2019, March 2022 – July 2023)
Elo ranking
Current 204 Increase 1 (3 March 2019)
Highest 1 (16 September 1987)
Lowest 1 (November 2019)
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
Appearances 4 (first in 1987)
Best result Seventh 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 professional matches since their inception.

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. 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, scoring the three and subsequently this win promoted them to the third tier of the Nations League (League C)

History

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, allowing the team to participate in major championships. Before this, Sammarinese players had been considered Italian in international football contexts.

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, and conceded 33 goals in total.

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. San Marino finished the campaign with one point and conceded 46 goals in 10 matches.

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. 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.

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. 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.

In April 2001, San Marino gained their first ever away point, drawing 1–1 with Latvia in Riga. 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. 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. 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.

San Marino's opening UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match resulted in a record 13–0 defeat at home by Germany on 6 September 2006. 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.

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, and scored just once, in a 3–1 defeat by Slovakia. 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. This was then followed up by two lighter defeats, a 5–0 home loss against Sweden, before completing the campaign with a 4–0 away loss to Moldova.

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. 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.

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

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

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).

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. 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.

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. 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. 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. As a result, San Marino is the only European team that has not yet scored a goal in three participations.

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.

SVK vs. SMR 2024 San Marino Team Picture (1)
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.

On 5 September 2024, San Marino defeated Liechtenstein 1–0 in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League for their first competitive win since joining FIFA and UEFA, with Nicko Sensoli scoring the only goal of the game in the 53rd minute.

On 18 November 2024, San Marino defeated Liechtenstein in Vaduz 3–1 in the final game of the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League 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, and the first time San Marino won an away match.

Image

Kits

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

Stadium

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. It has a capacity of 7,000. 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.

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.

Reputation

San Marino has the smallest population of any UEFA country. 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.

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 until France eclipsed this in 2023 with a 14–0 victory over Gibraltar. And they have conceded ten goals on seven other separate occasions.

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.

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. 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. 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.

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

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.

Results and fixtures

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

Coaching staff

Current technical staff:

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

Manager Nat. Start End Matches Won Draw Lost
Casali, GiulioGiulio Casali San Marino 28 March 1986 20 September 1987 6 0 2 4
Leoni, GiorgioGiorgio Leoni San Marino 14 November 1990 15 November 1995 29 0 1 28
Bonini, MassimoMassimo Bonini San Marino 2 June 1996 10 September 1997 8 0 0 8
Mazza, GiampaoloGiampaolo Mazza San Marino 10 October 1998 15 October 2013 85 1 2 82
Manzaroli, PierangeloPierangelo Manzaroli San Marino 8 June 2014 8 October 2017 28 0 1 27
Varrella, FrancoFranco Varrella Italy 8 September 2018 28 November 2021 34 0 2 32
Costantini, FabrizioFabrizio Costantini San Marino 28 November 2021 12 December 2023 20 0 2 18
Cevoli, RobertoRoberto Cevoli San Marino 15 December 2023 present 10 2 2 6

Players

Main article: List of San Marino international footballers

Current squad

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.

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

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Edoardo Colombo (2001-01-24) 24 January 2001 (age 24) 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 21) 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 23) 30 1 Free agent
2DF Alessandro Tosi (2001-04-08) 8 April 2001 (age 24) 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 19) 5 0 Italy Sassuolo Primavera
2DF Tommaso Benvenuti (2006-02-03) 3 February 2006 (age 19) 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 22) 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 23) 6 0 Italy Pietracuta
4FW Matteo Vitaioli (captain) (1989-10-27) 27 October 1989 (age 35) 98 1 San Marino La Fiorita
4FW Nicola Nanni (2000-05-02) 2 May 2000 (age 25) 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

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 25) 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 38) 75 1 San Marino Tre Penne Training Stage, August 2024
DF Andrea Magi (2001-02-03) 3 February 2001 (age 24) 3 0 Italy Diegaro Training Stage, August 2024
DF Alberto Guerra (2004-01-13) 13 January 2004 (age 21) 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 28) 37 0 San Marino La Fiorita v.  Saint Kitts and Nevis, 24 March 2024
DF Giacomo Matteoni (2002-04-11) 11 April 2002 (age 23) 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 23) 3 1 Italy Tivoli v.  Gibraltar, 15 November 2024
MF Giacomo Molinari (2005-03-20) 20 March 2005 (age 20) 0 0 San Marino San Marino Academy v.  Andorra, 13 October 2024
MF Lorenzo Capicchioni (2002-01-19) 19 January 2002 (age 23) 14 0 Italy Asta Taverne v.  Moldova, 10 September 2024
MF Andrea Dolcini (2003-04-14) 14 April 2003 (age 22) 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

Main article: List of San Marino international footballers
Players in bold are still active with San Marino.

Most capped players

SVK vs. SMR 2024 San Marino Nr. 7 Vitaioli (5)
Matteo Vitaioli is San Marino's most capped player with 98 caps.
Rank Player Caps Goals Years
1 Matteo Vitaioli 98 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

Selva 2013
Andy Selva is San Marino's all-time top scorer with 8 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Years
1 Selva, AndyAndy Selva 8 73 0.11 1998–2016
2 Berardi, FilippoFilippo Berardi 3 33 0.09 2016–present
Nanni, NicolaNicola Nanni 3 42 0.07 2018–present
4 Lazzari, LorenzoLorenzo Lazzari 2 16 0.13 2022–present
Marani, ManuelManuel Marani 2 32 0.06 2003–2012
Golinucci, AlessandroAlessandro Golinucci 2 57 0.04 2015–present

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup 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
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 0/9 – – – – – – 76 0 2 74 12 356

UEFA European Championship

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

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

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

Further information: San Marino national football team results

As of 18 November 2024 San Marino national football team results

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de San Marino para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
San Marino national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.