Why European Country Must Lose to Stay in 2026 World Cup Race
- A bizarre 2026 World Cup twist could see a European team needing to lose in order to qualify
- One of the continent’s smallest nations now faces an almost unthinkable path to the World Cup
- The nation has lost all its games in its qualification campaign and has only won three games in the country's history
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A European country that has lost all of its World Cup qualifying matches may have a better chance of making it to the tournament if it loses to Romania again.
Only in September, when they defeated Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League, did San Marino, the smallest nation in UEFA and one of the worst in international football history, win a competitive match.
Source: Getty Images
All three of San Marino’s victories have come against the same opponent, 34 years after their first official international match.
Ranked 210th in the world by FIFA, the tiny European nation has managed just three wins in 219 games throughout its history.
San Marino, made up of semi-professionals, sit in Group H of the World Cup qualifiers, having lost all seven matches so far, conceding 32 goals and scoring only once.
Under the guidance of Roberto Cevoli, they most recently suffered a 4-0 defeat to Cyprus, but astonishingly, losing their final game against Romania could create an almost unimaginable qualification scenario.
With one game left, Romania is three points behind Bosnia and Herzegovina in third place in the group.
On November 15, the two teams will play each other. A few days later, Bosnia will play Austria, the group leaders, while San Marino will play Romania.
Romania would go to the World Cup play-offs, which will feature 16 teams, if they placed second in Group H.
Can San Marino reach the World Cup?
Per Sportbible, 12 countries will finish in second place, and the top four-ranked UEFA Nations League group winners who haven't qualified will get four more berths.
With seven points from four games against Gibraltar and Liechtenstein, San Marino topped group D1 in League D, shockingly winning their Nations League group in 2024–2025.
The minnows were promoted to League C as a result, and they now have a real opportunity of making history by playing in the World Cup in the US.
Along with winning their Nations League group, Romania advanced to Group B by dominating Group C1 with a perfect record of six games.
Source: Getty Images
In a strange turn of events, San Marino would therefore benefit from a crushing defeat to Romania in order to claim one of the play-off berths allotted to Nations League winners.
For San Marino, which has endured numerous beatings over the years, this accomplishment would not be especially challenging.
After that, they would play two playoff games against teams from the higher divisions, and if they won two of them, they would advance to the North American tournament the next year.
San Marino might also sneak into the playoffs thanks to UEFA's criteria if Sweden or Northern Ireland place in the top two of their groups, because they were also Nations League group winners.
San Marino has the potential to make one of the greatest sporting accomplishments in history; thus, anything is conceivable.
However, San Marino's hopes could be dashed if Bosnia defeats Romania on November 15.
16 of the 48 teams that qualify for the World Cup will represent UEFA.
So far, Ghana has advanced to next year’s World Cup, joining fellow African representatives Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria.
Global powerhouses such as reigning champions Argentina, five-time winners Brazil, and Japan have also secured qualification, while European heavyweights Spain, England, France, and Germany are closing in on their spots for next summer’s tournament.
Qualified teams for 2026 World Cup
Earlier, YEN.com.gh also examined the list of nations that have already secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The list features global football giants like Argentina and Brazil, as other world’s elite are steadily booking their places for the 48-team tournament next year.
Source: YEN.com.gh
