Preview: San Marino vs Cyprus – prediction, team news, lineups

Eliminated San Marino will play their penultimate World Cup 2026 qualifying match on Sunday at Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle against visitors Cyprus, who have nothing to play for themselves.

After suffering a humiliating 10-0 defeat against Austria on Thursday, the fifth-placed hosts will hope to collect their first point of the group stage when they welcome fourth-placed Cyprus, who have five points but are eight from second place with two games remaining following their 2-2 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday.

Match preview

San Marino trailed 6-0 at half time against Austria, and each of the opposing team’s outfield starting XI managed to register at least one direct goal contribution.

The nation’s defensive frailties are nothing new, and none of the other 53 teams in the European section of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers has conceded more than they have in six group games (28).

Roberto Cevoli should not be particularly disappointed by his team’s campaign considering they are ranked 210th by FIFA, making them the worst side in international football.

La Serenissima have never won a World Cup qualifying match, losing 79 of their 81 matches, and defeat on Sunday would be their 60th consecutive loss in the qualifiers.

To their credit, though they have lost their last three at home in all competitions, they did win one and draw one of their previous two at Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle.

Cyprus netted a 97th-minute equaliser against Bosnia-Herzegovina, but they can no longer finish in the top two and have subsequently failed to qualify for their first ever World Cup finals.

The visitors’ record at the back has been poor for some time given they have conceded in each of their past six, picking the ball out of their own net at least two times in five of those games.

Apostolos Mantzios‘s side triumphed in all eight of their clashes with San Marino, including when they beat Sunday’s hosts 2-0 in March.

Cyprus are winless in six fixtures, settling for stalemates on three occasions while scoring seven goals.

Mantzios’s team have also failed to achieve victory in any of their six most recent away outings, succumbing to defeat in five of those contests.

San Marino World Cup Qualifying – Europe form:

San Marino form (all competitions):

Cyprus World Cup Qualifying – Europe form:

Cyprus form (all competitions):

Team News

San Marino may have nothing to play for, but it would be unthinkable to start the same back four considering the nature of their defeat against Austria, so fans might see Alberto Riccardi come into the side.

Lorenzo Capicchioni is the most likely candidate to be positioned as a defensive midfielder, and he may be accompanied in the middle by Marcello Mularoni and Lorenzo Lazzari.

As for Cyprus, key star Ioannis Pittas will want to play despite his nation’s elimination, and the forward will hope to net his fourth goal in five games for club and country.

In midfield, Mantzios may be tempted to replace Kostakis Artymatas with Charalampos Kyriakou, who could partner Grigoris Kastanos.

Centre-back Konstantinos Laifis is set to marshal a four-man defence also featuring central defender Stelios Andreou.

San Marino possible starting lineup:

Colombo; Matteoni, Cevoli, Riccardi, Tosi; Mularoni, Capicchioni, Lazzari; Contadini, Nanni, Berardi

Cyprus possible starting lineup:

Mall; Shikkis, Andreou, Laifis, Correia; Kyriakou, Kastanos; Loizou, Charalampous, Tzionis; Pittas

We say: San Marino 0-3 Cyprus

Cyprus may be deflated following their failure to qualify for the World Cup, but it would be shocking if they failed to beat San Marino.

The hosts are yet to collect a single point in the group, or win a single World Cup qualifier, so there is no reason to doubt the visitors’ ability to get over the line on Sunday.

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