THE ULTIMATE MINNOWS
GUALTIERI: Scored in eight seconds in 1993
England have won their seven matches against San Marino by an aggregate score of 42-1, winning 5-0 in March at Wembley in the reverse World Cup 2022 qualifier.
In San Marino, England have won 14-0 in two previous visits, winning 8-0 in March 2013 and 6-0 in September 2015. Their other match against the Sammarinese not on English soil was played in Bologna at the Stadio Renato dall’Ara in November 1993, with San Marino taking the lead through Davide Gualtieri after eight seconds before losing 7-1.
San Marino have lost 36 of their 37 home World Cup qualifiers, losing 35 in a row by an aggregate score of 146-7. They last avoided defeat at home in March 1993 in a 0-0 draw with Turkey in Serravalle.
Since conceding after eight seconds against San Marino in November 1993, England have only conceded in the first half of three of their 32 away World Cup qualifiers: Carsten Jancker in the sixth minute for Germany in September 2001, Pavel Sitko in the 28th minute for Belarus in October 2008 and Serhiy Nazarenko in the 29th minute for the Ukraine in October 2009.
San Marino have lost their past 35 qualifying matches (EUROs/World Cup), scoring five goals while conceding 163 themselves. They only had one shot in their 4-0 defeat to Hungary last time out.
England have scored 42 goals in all competitions in 2021 – more than they’ve scored in any other calendar year in their history. Their first match this year was a 5-0 win over San Marino, with the Three Lions last starting and ending a year by scoring five goals in 1993 – 6-0 and 7-1 wins over San Marino in February and November respectively.
Harry Kane has scored 12 goals in 2021 for England – no player has ever scored more in a calendar year for the Three Lions (George Hilsdon in 1908, Dixie Dean in 1927 and Kane in 2019 scored 12 also). Kane is averaging a goal or assist every 53 minutes in qualifying matches for England (28 goals, 9 assists in 26 appearances).
Jude Bellingham has won nine caps for England and ended on the winning side in all nine – should he win a cap in this match, he will be the second-youngest player to reach 10 caps for the Three Lions (18y 139d), behind only Wayne Rooney (18y 117d) in 2004.