Football is a game of passion, skill, and the pursuit of glory. While some nations have dominated the world stage-winning trophies and collecting accolades-others exist at the opposite end of the spectrum: teams for whom the greatest victories might simply be scoring a goal or evading an embarrassing defeat.
For every Brazil or Germany basking in the greatness of footballing, several teams have been defined by their struggles, their perseverance in the face of relentless losses, and their role as perpetual underdogs.
These are the teams which, barring the odd headline of success, lace up their boots and take to the pitch, hoping their fortunes might change someday. There is some quality in these national teams devoid of star power, resources, or simple numbers to be considered with the cream of football-only this spirit seems unbreakable and worthy of attention.
These teams on this list represent everything from remote island nations to small European microstates and display the grit and determination to keep on playing, even when the dream of a win seems to be from another world.
With that in mind, here are the 10 worst football national teams where glory is at a minimum, but the heart is never in short supply.
1. San Marino
When footballing misfortune is considered, few are as unfortunate as San Marino: 210th in the world and, at the moment, the lowest-ranked in FIFA’s global standings, this microstate lies deeply inland within Italy’s borders.
They certainly have had a brutal baptism into international football, having secured a paltry two victories since their debut some time ago in 1986. Yes, two.
The first victory came in 2004 against Liechtenstein, with a narrow 1-0 result, so special for San Marino, it’s probably etched into their history books.
Twenty years later, the next win came along in 2024, with another 1-0 score against Liechtenstein.
Nicko Sensoli scored the game’s only goal, putting his name down in the history of this modest nation’s football. Still, the team has never won a World Cup or European Championship qualifier, making San Marino the perennial whipping boys of UEFA.
Recent performances have shown minor signs of improvement. A 2-1 loss to Denmark and Finland were hailed as victories of sorts considering they were expected to be demolished.
Still, being competitive and winning are worlds apart, and San Marino remains firmly planted in football’s basement.
2. Anguilla
The sunny Caribbean island that it may be, Anguilla lies 209th in the world rankings, one place above San Marino. Beautiful beaches perhaps, but Anguilla’s football exploits are decidedly less picturesque.
Their World Cup qualifying campaigns read like horror stories – none worse than the 16-0 aggregate thrashing meted out by El Salvador in 2008. The first leg finished 12-0-a scoreline more video game glitch than an international football match.
However, the worst day in Anguilla’s history came in 2019 when Trinidad and Tobago ran riot, handing them a 15-0 loss.
Since their first match in 1985, Anguilla have managed only nine wins, including against modest teams like the British Virgin Islands and Montserrat.
Their biggest victory 4-1 win over Montserrat back in 2001 feels like ancient history with two decades of near-total failure since then.
3. Guam
Curiously, Guam has been on a strange trip through football’s wilderness. With a peak FIFA ranking of 146th in 2015, where they briefly tasted victories over Turkmenistan and India, Guam’s recent fortunes have spiralled into a void of endless defeats.
Jason Cunliffe, their national hero and all-time top scorer, has valiantly carried the team for years. With 66 caps and thousands of miles in flights, his story is more heartwarming than his team’s results.
The last time Guam managed to win a game was against Bhutan in a World Cup qualifier in 2019, when they steamrolled them 5-0.
Since then, they have slumped into 12 straight losses, which also include a couple of humiliating 7-0 defeats to China. Football is undoubtedly the world’s game, but Guam’s love for it is heartbreakingly unrequited.
4. Seychelles
Seychelles is less of a paradise on the footballing field than one might imagine from this tropical paradise. Currently lying in 201st place, Seychelles has struggled mightily in international competitions.
At their peak in 2006, they rose to 129th in the world rankings-a momentary flicker of hope for a nation more renowned for tourism than sporting success.
In their last five games, the Pirates have been thoroughly outplayed, shipping 23 goals while scoring a paltry two. All this came to a head when Seychelles suffered a 9-0 drubbing at the hands of the Ivory Coast result leaving Seychelles fans shaking their heads in despair.
Since winning the 2011 Indian Ocean Island Games, the team has largely lived off that success. But winning local tournaments is a far cry from competing on the global stage.
5. Tonga
Tonga’s football history is defined by two numbers: 22-0 and 31-0. The former was a brutal beating at the hands of Australia in 2002, which then stood as the most one-sided result in international football.
That record lasted just two days, as Australia beat American Samoa 31-0. Still, Tonga’s place in footballing infamy was secure.
In 2023, after four years of doing absolutely nothing, Tonga finally emerged onto the world stage once more and promptly got spanked 7-0 by New Caledonia.
Then they finally recorded a victory after what must have seemed an eternity, defeating American Samoa 6-2 in the Pacific Games. Even with that victory, though, Tonga remains a bottom-of-the-barrel football team.
6. American Samoa
No team embodies footballing futility quite like American Samoa. That infamous 31-0 defeat to the Aussies in 2001 still stands as the heaviest loss in international football history.
The image of Australian striker Archie Thompson scoring 13 goals that day is seared into football history. The result sparked widespread debate over the structure of FIFA’s qualification tournaments.
Not everything has been doom and gloom in American Samoa’s footballing history, of course. In 2011, after 17 years of defeat, they finally managed to pick up a win, beating Tonga 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier.
The result itself did little to propel them up the world rankings but did the far more important job of lifting the spirits of a nation that had grown all too used to failure.
7. Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands’ foray into international football began in 1996, and things don’t really seem to have gone particularly well since. Ranked 207th, their World Cup qualifying campaigns have often ended before they’ve even begun.
In 2000, Saint Kitts and Nevis knocked them out 14-0 on aggregate. Four years later, Haiti crushed their hopes with a 7-0 humiliation.
The brightest moment for the team came in 2008 when they pulled off their first World Cup qualification win by beating Saint Lucia 2-1. Their bubble was rapidly burst, however, by a 2-0 loss in the return leg.
Footballing life in Turks and Caicos is one of near-misses and missed opportunities.
8. British Virgin Islands
Football has been cruel to the British Virgin Islands. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds, they were kicked out without being given much thinking time by Saint Lucia 10-0 on aggregate.
Their 2010 World Cup qualifying bid saw them narrowly lose to the Bahamas on away goals result that would make any diehard fan weep.
More heartbreak came in 2014 when they had been favoured to beat the US Virgin Islands in a two-legged tie.
Somehow, they managed to lose both matches by 2-0 and 2-1. But they still soldier on, with their dreams kept alive by the slim hope of one day achieving that elusive World Cup qualification.
9. Aruba
Aruba’s football team may share the same azure waters that adorn their tourism brochures, but that is as far as similarities with paradise go.
Since joining the world of football in 1989, Aruba has been posting nothing short of mediocre results. In 2014, they managed a record-high 120th in the FIFA rankings, maybe due to back-to-back victories over Turks and Caicos and the British Virgin Islands.
Since then, the island nation has slowly sunk back into mediocrity.
Their World Cup campaigns have been nothing short of disastrous. From getting thumped 11-0 by Trinidad and Tobago in their first-ever to a 2-0 loss against Barbados in 2018, Aruba’s footballing tale has been one of pain and perseverance.
10. Bahamas
Formed in 1967, the Bahamas national football team has been largely unsuccessful, failing to ever grace either a FIFA World Cup or a CONCACAF Gold Cup, and have a history filled with painful defeats throughout their journey of qualification in various tournaments.
The worst loss of the Bahamas came in 1987 when Mexico humiliated them 13-0 during the qualifying tournament of the Pan American Games. They have thus far been knocked out of a few World Cup qualifiers by hefty margins, including 13-0 losses to Haiti and Jamaica.
Life has been a struggle for the Bahamas, who have only seen a few bright moments.
They went on to register a 10-0 aggregate win against Turks and Caicos Islands in the qualifiers of the 2011 World Cup, but their stay in the competition was cut short as they could not afford to take the team to the next round.
Currently 203 in the world, the Bahamas continue with the fight in world football, all while keeping their fingers crossed that one bright day, their fortunes will smile again.
Bonus inclusion
Bolivia
Ranked 89th in the world, might seem a curious inclusion in this list, but dig deeper into their history and you come to see how much they have struggled.
Playing in CONMEBOL, the unforgiving World Cup qualifying group of South America, is no picnic, but Bolivia’s recent track record is painful. For all they have qualified for three World Cups, in 1930, 1950, and 1994, Bolivia has never won a single game at the tournament.
La Verde’s qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup has gotten off to a poor start, with five defeats in their first six matches. They have been comprehensively outplayed by the likes of Brazil and Uruguay to leave them well adrift of qualifying spots. Bolivia may have the altitude advantage when playing in La Paz, but in footballing terms, they remain very much grounded.
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