San Marino are in Group D1 of the Nations League, along with Liechtenstein and Gibraltar. Before the final round of matches, the team at the bottom of the FIFA rankings was in second place with 4 points, 2 points behind the leaders Gibraltar, but had played 1 match less. Therefore, they will win the ticket to promotion if they win against Liechtenstein.
However, San Marino's goal was soon doused with cold water when Liechtenstein took the lead in the 40th minute. After the break, words of encouragement from coach Roberto Cevoli helped his players regain their confidence to create a miracle.
Just 50 seconds into the second half, striker Lorenzo Lazzari broke through the opposition defence and coolly finished to help San Marino equalise. Minutes later, the team continued to score two more goals to seal an incredible 3-1 comeback.
It was not only the nation's first away win but also its biggest since its founding in 1931.
This is all the more special, as San Marino only recently ended a 140-match winless streak - a record in international football history - with a 1-0 win over Liechtenstein in September 2024.
At the same time, the 3-1 victory last night (November 18) also helped San Marino take the top spot in Group D1 and win a ticket to play in League C Nations League 2026-2027. Most likely, they will also escape the 210th position when FIFA updates the rankings for the next time on November 28.
One San Marino fan immediately shared his happiness on social media: "If you feel down, remember that humans have existed on this planet for 300,000 years and you were still alive when San Marino won 2 games in 1 year and got promoted."
The promotion opens up the opportunity to participate in the 2026 World Cup play-offs for the country of 33,000 people. Although this is an extremely difficult task, with the achievement just achieved, San Marino can completely believe in a miracle.
