"It’s not easy to hold back your emotions, I still feel on top of the world." These were the words of Sammarinese midfielder, Nicko Sensoli. He spoke to FIFA following the 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League on 5 September. Sensoli was the only scorer in the match. And these words say it all. This victory finally puts an end to a run of 140 matches without a win. In fact, it’s the Blue and Whites' first win for 20 years since they beat the same opponent by the same scoreline back in April 2004. This dismal run of results had unfortunate repercussions on the Serenissima’s FIFA ranking, leaving them rock bottom of the standings for many years.

However, San Marino's recent surge of pride has not enabled them to climb any places in September's FIFA rankings: they remain 210th in the world, despite having amassed 6.41 points. But victory over Liechtenstein was enough to bring happiness to an entire nation, and make Sensoli its national hero. "A lot of the more experienced players in the team have dreamt of this moment for many years”, the midfielder explains. “Some of them are coming to the end of their careers and to achieve something like this can only bring them joy and happiness. It’s why I’m so passionate. We all deserved to be a part of this moment.” Of course, the credit must first go to the players and staff, but the ‘all’ mentioned by Sensoli may extend a little further, particularly in view of the efforts made by the San Marino Football Federation (FSGC) to develop the sport. The football academy it runs – which Sensoli himself has hailed from – is the best example of this.

“We’ve already started to see positive results”, Sensoli, who was not even born when San Marino won their last match, explains. It’s the same for promising internationals Nicolas Giacopetti, 18, Matteo Valli Casadei, 19, and Tommaso Benvenuti, 18, all graduates from this training centre. Clearly, FSGC has breathed new life into the national team through their youth development. The same applies to their facilities.

The Stadio di Acquaviva has been modernised, and now boasts an artificial pitch, changing rooms, a 480-seat covered stand, and a 1,000-seater futsal arena. Other sites – in Montegiardino and Faetano – are currently undergoing work, and will also be fitted with artificial turf in the near future. In addition, an infrastructure plan has been launched for the San Marino Stadium, including the renovation of the changing rooms and stands. These are all projects driven by the FSGC and supported by the FIFA Forward Programme.

So there’s plenty of blue sky ahead. Galvanised by their victory and the efforts they have made to improve their football, San Marino can look towards a bright future and set their sights high. “On a personal level, I would really like to score another, just to experience those emotions again”, concludes Sensoli, who is still on cloud nine. He and the Serenissima are both now ready to shoot for the moon.