The shocking situation in the Romanian group arrived in the international press: “Film story”

Romania will face San Marino on November 18th. There is the scenario in which the “tricolors” would need a victory at a big score to be sure of the 2nd place in the preliminary group, which would ensure an easier draw at the World Cup dam. To get there, Romania is not allowed to lose with Bosnia.

San Marino has won the group in the League of Nations and needs Romania to play at the dam thanks to the preliminaries, not on the route of the League of Nations. So, the Sanmarines would benefit whether the “tricolors” would finish the group on the 2nd place. In other words, it could be in their interest to take as many goals in the last stage of the preliminary group.

The incredible situation in the Romanian group, with San Marino, which would benefit from a failure to score with Lucescu's team, arrived in the Bola, the Portuguese journalists writing at large about the case of UEFA.

The situation in the Romanian group, with San Marino that would benefit to take many goals from “tricolors”, arrived in the Portuguese press

“San Marino, the Microstat between the hills in northern Italy, with less than 34,000 inhabitants, occupies the last place in the FIFA standings, between the 210 affiliated nations. In 219 official matches, he only won-all against Liechtenstein-and he never won a victory in a world championship or European championship.

Even so, no matter how incredible it may seem, San Marino can still reach the World Cup in 2026. A improbable combination of results and a private UEFA regulation maintains a spark of hope for the small republic, which was synonymous with resistance, humility … and defeat, “the Portuguese from the Bola material.

“How European qualifications work”

“How can San Marino qualify? We explain to you.

These 16 selected includes the 12 teams ranked second in groups and the four best group winners in the League of Nations that were not among the first two in their qualification group.

It is here that San Marino enters the scene. In 2024/25, he defeated Liechtenstein twice and drew with Gibraltar, finishing in his first place in his Group in the League of Nations D – a premiere in his history.

Due to this fact, he climbed the waiting list of possible beneficiaries of the UEFA dam. However, in order for this door to remain open, it is necessary for some teams before it in the hierarchy – especially Romania, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Northern Ireland – to finish on the first two places in the respective groups, ”the Portuguese continued.

“The surrealist scenario: to lose … in order to dream”

“The destiny of San Marino depends, ironically, on what Romania will do, which divides the group with the Sanmarine.

And here the paradox appears: the best interests of San Marino involves a defeat – and preferably in many goals – in front of Romania, in the last stage of qualifications. If Romania will win at a big difference, it could exceed Bosnia at the goal and could provide the second place, releasing a place in the play-off that would benefit … San Marino.

Otherwise, if Romania misses the qualification and stays outside the first two places, it will occupy the place that the Microstat team needs to enter. The situation is so absurd that it raises ethical and regulatory questions: FIFA deliberately prohibits the manipulation of results, including intended loss.

But the mere fact that the best possible scenario for San Marino involves a categorical defeat already makes this story worthy of a movie script”, The journalists from the Bola continued.

“The Eternal Red Lantern of FIFA and the possible miracle”

San Marino ranks 210 and the last in the world ranking of November 2023, even under selected without regular activity, such as Eritrea. The small stadium in Serravalle, with 6600 seats, is rarely filled – and sometimes the visitors supporters exceed the local ones. Even so, every void, each equal and even every honorable defeat are celebrated as small triumphs.

The possibility of mathematics to reach the 2026 World Cup play-off is, for San Marino, more symbolic than real. Even if everything goes in his favor, the selected should face a European power in a decisive traveling match-an almost impossible scenario.

But, for a country whose football history is measured in dignity and not in victories or titles, the mere fact of being involved in the calculations of qualification is, in itself, a historical achievement.

If the defeat in front of Romania will occur, maybe San Marino will demonstrate once again that, in football, it is not always synonymous with failure, ”the Portuguese concluded.

The ranking in the Romanian group