San Marino: The worst FIFA ranked side, but might be the best team in the world

There's no getting away from it - San Marino are the worst-ranked nation in football, according to FIFA.

Their credentials? The small enclave in north-central Italy has played 205 games in its relatively short history, losing all but 10 of those. In fact, San Marino have only ever won one game - a 1-0 friendly against Liechtenstein back in 2004.

La Serenissima have scored just 30 goals in their 37-year existence, conceding 832 in return. On seven different occasions they have shipped 10, and have lost by four or more goals 99 times.

San Marino have only ever picked up three points in a combined 152 competitive qualifiers, once went 3,853 days without avoiding a defeat, and on 14 occasions have managed to go a whole year without scoring.

Right, now we've got that out the way, let's take a look at why if you can take the numbers away, they might just be the best team in the world as they prepare to welcome Finland on Monday night.

'They must be aware that they’re representing a small country on a worldwide stage, facing overwhelming opponents,' Marco Tura, president of the Sammarinese football federation, tells Mail Sport. 'It is something of a David and Goliath story.'

San Marino have just spent 16 straight hours travelling to Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, a tick over 5,300km east of their mountainous home nestled inside the confines of north-central Italy.

This penultimate game of the qualifying campaign comes on an interesting anniversary for San Marino. Thirty years ago to the day, Davide Gualtieri momentarily shocked the world, scoring 8.3 seconds into a World Cup qualifier with Graham Taylor's England for the then-fastest ever goal in World Cup qualifying.

The game would end 7-1, but Gualtieri's goal lives on as