San Marino is the smallest sovereign state to have a national football team recognized by UEFA.
The San Marino national football team represents the republic in European international competition. The team played its first official international match in 1990, against Switzerland, after the San Marino Football Federation became affiliated with UEFA and FIFA. Its home venue is the Stadio Olimpico in Serravalle.
San Marino is often compared with Andorra and Liechtenstein, which are also small UEFA members with national teams. Vatican City is a sovereign state but does not have a FIFA- or UEFA-recognized senior national team. That distinction makes organizational recognition important in this question.
Because San Marino has a very small population and a limited player pool, it faces much larger football nations in qualifying competitions. Nevertheless, its participation gives the republic a regular place in Europe’s international football structure.