Why San Marino Need To Lose To Keep Themselves Alive In FIFA World Cup Qualification?
In a bizarre phenomenon, San Marino needs to concede a defeat in their upcoming match in the FIFA World Cup Qualifier.
Published : October 15, 2025 at 4:46 PM IST
|Updated : October 15, 2025 at 4:51 PM IST
Hyderabad: San Marino may be at the bottom of the FIFA rankings, which include 210 nations, but they have become a part of a bizarre sequence of events as they need to suffer a defeat in the next World Cup qualifiers match. The mountainous region in north-central Italy, with a population of less than 34,000, are still holding on to its place in the race to qualification and losing against Romania has become a must for them to stay in contention.
From the total of 219 matches they have played, San Marino have won only three of their matches. San Marino are still in the hunt thanks to their performance in the Nations League. The small nation scored two wins over Liechtenstein last year and drew against Gibraltar saw it top the D1 group in League D.
The equation has become interesting for San Mario majorly due to another country in the group, Romania, which topped the C1 group in League C and earned a promotion to B.
How do FIFA World Cup European play-offs work?
Participating nations in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026 are divided into 12 groups, and the teams will fight for 16 spots available from the continent. 12 group winners will directly secure a berth, while the remaining four will be decided through a 16-team play-offs, which will be played in March 2026.
12 group runners-up from the World Cup qualifiers will get a direct entry into the play-offs, while four spots will be earned by the Nations League winners. There were 14 Nations League winners: Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, England, Norway, Wales, Czechia, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Moldova and San Marino.
Group H standings
| Team | Matches | Points | Wins | Defeats | Losses | Goal Difference | |
| 1 | Austria | 6 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| 2 | Bosnia | 6 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | Romania | 6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | Cyprus | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 5 | San Marino | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | -31 |
Why does San Marino need to lose?
Currently, Wales, Romania, Sweden, Moldova and San Marino are not in the top two of their respective groups. San Mario are in Group H, where Romania are in third position. Austria are at the top, followed by Bosnia & Herzegovina.
With Austria likely to finish at the top, it is in the best of San Marino's interest that Romania finishes as the runner-up and earns an entry into the play-offs. That way, the Nations League winner spot will be open for San Marino.
Romania will be up against San Mario and thus, assuming Austria are finishing at the top of the group, the latter must lose against the former by as many goals as possible. Romania play away to Bosnia & Herzegovina on November 15 and plays against San Marino on the final matchday. Bosnia will play against Austria in their final qualifier on November 18. If Bosnia & Herzegovina get favourable results in their remaining matches, San Marino's qualification hopes will be hampered.
Currently, Bosnia and Herzegovina are at second place with 13 points, while Romania are in third position with 10 points in their kitty. So, it is important for Romania to beat them as it will restrict them to 16 points. Two wins from two matches will take Romania to 16 points and a better goal difference will take them to the second place.
