Toymaker, student, designer... Why people of world's worst team still fighting?

San Marino haven't won since 2004 and are world's worst team, but they're not giving up

Michael Battistini plays for the San Marino national team but works by day as a metal mechanic. Like his teammates, he dreams of a San Marino win. 

SERRAVALLE, San Marino -- "Highway to Hell" rings out around San Marino Stadium as the world's worst football team prepares to face Slovenia in a Euro 2024 qualifier. The stadium DJ clearly has a sense of humour, unless the playlist is part of some cunning plan to strike fear into the hearts and minds of Slovenia's players.

San Marino sits 207th out of 207 in the FIFA men's rankings -- they climbed up from 208th spot in September because Eritrea, previously above them, was removed from the list after four years without a game -- and they have been rooted to rock-bottom since November 2018. The only fear being felt by Slovenia is probably about suffering the ignominy of being one of a few teams that hasn't beaten San Marino.

April 2024 will mark the 20th anniversary of their last -- and only -- victory, when Andy Selva's sixth-minute goal sealed a 1-0 home win in a friendly against Liechtenstein in front of just 200 supporters. While it is a harsh label to apply to a team from a tiny country of 33,000 inhabitants, it is an inescapable fact that San Marino are the worst football team in the world.

If you have 11 minutes and 48 seconds to spare, you can watch every goal San Marino have ever scored since their first game in 1990, with all 28 of them neatly packaged together in one YouTube video. Alas, on this September night there is no win, and no more goals, for La Serenissima as Slovenia run out 4-0 winners in front of 844 spectators to extend San Marino's winless run to 132 games.

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