Sports
FIFA’s worst-ranked team can still qualify for the World Cup — but only if it loses
Of all the teams vying for one of the 48 spots in the newly expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup field, it is not an exaggeration to say that San Marino are literally the worst, ranking 210th out of 210 eligible teams in FIFA’s men’s world rankings.
With a population of just over 34,000 — making it the fifth-smallest recognized country in the world — San Marino is actually the larger but significantly less famous of two microstates within Italy (as far as we know, Vatican City does not have a FIFA-recognized squad). Thus far, in their quest to play for the world’s soccer championship in North America next summer, La Serenissima have lost every one of their seven World Cup qualifying matches, scoring just one goal and allowing 32.
So, you would be forgiven for assuming that all hope is lost for San Marino to play in the next World Cup — but that is not actually so. For it to happen, though, there will have to be a very specific chain of events … potentially culminating in San Marino having to lose their final World Cup qualifying match by as many goals as possible.
The unlikeliest series of events
European teams are awarded 16 of the 48 World Cup bids. After a lengthy round-robin qualifying format, which ends on Nov. 18, the first-place finishers in each of the 12 groups earn an automatic bid. The 12 second-place finishers each advance to a 16-team playoff with the remaining four UEFA bids still up for grabs.
Here’s where it gets a bit complicated. The final four spots in that playoff are reserved for the highest-ranked teams who won one of the 14 UEFA Nations League groups back in 2024. As fate would have it, San Marino actually won their three-team Nations League group for the 2024-25 season, notching two wins over Liechtenstein (another European microstate) and holding off Gibraltar with a draw and a loss.
San Marino are ranked 14th out of these 14 Nations League teams, so in order for one of these four playoff spots to fall into their laps, they need 10 of the 13 teams ranked ahead of them in this “winners list” to not need the bid. In other words, if — and only if — at least 10 of those countries finish first (and directly qualify for the World Cup) or second (and already qualify for a playoff spot) in their World Cup groups. And, this is where things start to get messy.
As we enter the final week of qualifying games, eight teams that could have earned Nations League bids have already qualified for the World Cup and, therefore, don’t need them. This means that San Marino’s hopes basically rely on having just two other countries pull out a second-place finish in their groups.
If Nations League group winner Northern Ireland beat Slovakia in their World Cup qualifier on Friday, they would move into second in UEFA World Cup qualifying Group A and be in very good shape to stay there. Then, on Saturday, if Romania — yet another Nations League group winner — defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina, those two countries would be tied for second in UEFA World Cup qualifying Group H — a group which also includes San Marino.
Should this sequence of events come to pass, it will set up the scenario where, when San Marino plays Romania on Nov. 18, La Serenissima will be incentivized to lose by as many goals as possible to ensure the Romanians move on in the traditional World Cup qualifying process and abandon their slot in the Nations League playoff, allowing San Marino to take that spot.
It’s the kind of dizzying logistical nightmare that FIFA has been trying to avoid since the “Disgrace of Gijón,” when West Germany and Austria allegedly colluded in their final group stage match to allow both teams to advance in the 1982 World Cup, subsequently eliminating Algeria. That match catalyzed FIFA to institute the now familiar rule that all final World Cup group stage matches be played simultaneously.
What are the sportsbooks thinking?
If San Marino does find themselves with incentive to lose to Romania by as much as possible, though, it begs the question: How would sportsbooks make lines for the match?
For starters, it should be noted that World Cup qualifying handle is not currently a popular betting commodity for soccer, let alone compared to the rest of the menu at sportsbooks: BetMGM soccer trader Tom Pullin told ESPN over email that “interest in World Cup qualifying has been good, but not as high as regular league football like the Premier League.” Further, he said that San Marino’s matches don’t stand out unless they play a high-profile team.
In these World Cup qualifiers, San Marino have, predictably, not been given a chance by bookmakers. At ESPN BET, San Marino’s shortest odds to win a match were against Cyprus on Oct. 12 when they were +1300 on the three-way money line. Their longest odds were an astounding 100-1 against Austria just one match prior on Oct. 9. On the flip side, Cyprus were -600 to win, while Austria were not even listed because the odds were too short.
The big-money bettors who did tune in for these matches also predictably faded San Marino at every turn, according to BetMGM and DraftKings. However, Caesars Sportsbook’s head of soccer and UK sports Mark Bickerdike said that many bettors “love a big underdog story,” so the book racked up solid liability on lots of smaller wagers at long odds.
Which brings us back to the potential “doomsday scenario” on Nov. 18. Given San Marino are already as low as can be in the power ratings, sportsbooks will likely be motivated to list Romania as short as humanly possible, with the possibility of not even listing a money line for them at all, assuming San Marino are incentivized to get demolished.
“We would usually treat San Marino matches slightly differently given the disparity between them and most of the other teams,” Pullin said. “For a potential hypothetical situation like you described, the trading team will use market/bets they field as a guide to where prices should be with consideration to the possible higher goal scoring in the initial price.”
But for the scenario to even come to fruition, Northern Ireland (+310) will have to upset Slovakia (EVEN), and Romania (+185) will have to upset Bosnia and Herzegovina (+140). A parlay of those two results from the three-way money lines yields +1069 odds, per ESPN BET lines.
“Along with the rest of the industry, we are waiting until we know the outcome of the Bosnia-Romania game on Saturday before deciding on releasing prices for the Romania-San Marino fixture,” Bickerdike said over email. “It will be a unique scenario if it plays out.”
But should the extraordinary happen and San Marino actually do end up with a chance to advance in World Cup qualifying by losing a match spectacularly, it sets up an absolutely epic dilemma. FIFA rules, of course, prohibit teams from purposely losing matches, but given how poorly things have already gone for San Marino in World Cup qualifying — one of their matches against Austria ended in a 10-0 drubbing — it would be difficult to prove that La Serenissima did anything out of the ordinary at all.
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Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers’ ace and two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner, is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow that will keep him sidelined for months, manager A.J. Hinch said on Monday.
Skubal isn’t done for the season, but he is expected to be out two to three months following the surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow, ESPN reported.
Hinch called it an “easy process and procedure” while delivering the news, but it’s certainly a blow to the Tigers’ staff and Skubal personally that he is sidelined for months.
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Detroit pitcher Tarik Skubal watches during the Atlanta Braves game on April 29, 2026, at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga. (Rich Von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)
Skubal’s arm locked up during a bullpen session on Sunday ahead of his scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. Now, he will undergo the surgery, with Hinch providing no specific timeline for his return.
Skubal’s last start came in a 4-3 win over the league-leading Atlanta Braves this past Wednesday, where he allowed two runs on five hits across seven innings of work. He struck out seven Braves hitters during his outing.
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However, in that game, Skubal was spotted rubbing his left arm, leading to Hinch and a Tigers trainer going to the mound to check on the pitcher. Skubal, though, remained in the game after tossing a warm-up pitch, and he went on to pitch seven strong innings.
As a result of Skubal being out, the Tigers recalled Ty Madden to the big leagues. Tyler Holton will also be making the spot start on Monday night, serving as the Tigers’ opener before Hinch needs to get creative with his bullpen.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts after giving up a hit against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 14, 2025. (Jesse Johnson/Imagn Images)
Skubal is the latest Tigers starter to be placed on the injured list, joining Casey Mize and Justin Verlander. That leaves Framber Valdez and Jack Flaherty as the only healthy starters at the moment.
For Skubal, the timing isn’t great, especially with impending free agency looming.
Skubal won a record-breaking arbitration case this offseason, where the Tigers were told to pay the left-handed ace $32 million for the 2026 campaign after they proposed a $19 million salary. The victory beat Juan Soto’s arbitration pay by the New York Yankees in 2024 by $1 million.
Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers between pitches during the Braves game at Truist Park in Atlanta on April 29, 2026. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
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But, with no long-term deal in place for Skubal, the electric starter is set to be one of the top free agents after the season, unless he and the Tigers don’t figure something out before then. It seems unlikely that will happen at this point.
All teams interested in Skubal will be watching his recovery and eventual return closely. Until then, Hinch and the Tigers will need others to step up in the meantime for the starting rotation.
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Fernando Mendoza skyrocketed to the top of every NFL pundit’s draft board during the 2025 college football season as the Indiana Hoosiers standout won the Heisman Trophy and led the school to a national championship.
Mendoza’s status stayed clean as the Las Vegas Raiders selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. He will be tasked with returning the franchise back to glory under head coach Klint Kubiak and veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is set to serve as Mendoza’s mentor.
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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs through a drill during a rookie minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
A detractor came out of the woodwork on Monday as an anonymous ACC coach told ESPN that he didn’t believe Mendoza had the “NFL traits.” The coach competed against Mendoza when the quarterback was tossing the pigskin around for the Cal Golden Bears.
“He’s a good decision-maker, but I don’t think he’s got the NFL traits,” the coach told ESPN. “They’re all back-shoulder (throws). That’s not working in the NFL. His receivers made plays to make him look better than he is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off.”
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza warms up during a rookie minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
Mendoza showed grit and determination with some of the throws he made at Indiana. One that comes to mind is the game-winning touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. against Penn State.
Cooper made the catch and an incredible toe-tap for the touchdown with 36 seconds left in the game, which kept Indiana’s dream season alive.
Raiders general manager John Spytek said last month he nixed any talk of trading the No. 1 pick because he was sure Mendoza would be their guy.
“I think any coach is excited to work with a big, athletic, talented thrower that is extremely smart and a very driven worker, and that’s been our experience with Fernando,” Spytek said. “That’s a great starting spot for any quarterback.”
It’s the heart that Mendoza showed throughout the season, including in the national title game against the Miami Hurricanes, that made him an attractive prospect for NFL teams.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, attends a news conference at the Raiders Headquarters in Henderson, Nev., on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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He had 3,535 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes in his lone season at Indiana.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Team of the Tournament, naming Babar Azam skipper after a title-winning campaign.
The Team of the Tournament comprises three players each from Peshawar Zalmi and Hyderabad Kingsmen, two apiece from Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United, and one player each from Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators.
The selection was made by a five-member panel drawn from the commentary team. The jury also finalised the Emerging Team of the Tournament, recognising the standout young performers of the season.
A total of 44 matches were played from March 26 to May 3 across Lahore and Karachi.
Babar Azam, who lifted his third PSL title as a player and first as captain, finished as the leading run-scorer with 588 runs.
Opening the innings, he also claimed the Hanif Mohammad Cap and equalled the record for most runs in a single PSL season, matching Fakhar Zaman’s tally from 2022.
His campaign featured two centuries in four matches against Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United.
Peshawar Zalmi are further represented by Kusal Mendis and Sufyan Moqim. Mendis scored 550 runs, including four half-centuries and a century, while also contributing eight dismissals behind the stumps.
His century came against Karachi Kings at the National Bank Stadium on April 9. Left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim took 22 wickets at an average of 14.40 and an economy rate of 7.20, earning both Player of the Tournament and Best Bowler honours.
Hyderabad Kingsmen have three representatives in Usman Khan, Hassan Khan and Hunain Shah. Usman finished fourth among the top run-scorers with 389 runs, including a century and three half-centuries.
Hassan contributed 139 runs at a strike rate of 195 alongside six wickets and strong fielding performances. Hunain Shah impressed with 17 wickets in 10 matches, emerging as a key bowler in the latter stages of the competition.
Lahore Qalandars’ Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Shah Afridi also feature in the XI. Fakhar scored 401 runs to finish third overall, while Shaheen claimed 16 wickets at an economy rate of 7.86.
Multan Sultans’ Shan Masood is included after scoring 367 runs at an average of 45.87 and a strike rate of 158.18. Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan also makes the side after a strong all-round season, scoring 173 runs and taking 17 wickets, earning the Best All-Rounder of the Tournament award.
Teammate Richard Gleeson is selected for his impactful new-ball performances, finishing with 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.13.
Quetta Gladiators’ Hasan Nawaz has been named as the 12th player after scoring 291 runs.
PSL 11 Team of the Tournament
Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) (c), Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars), Kusal Mendis (Peshawar Zalmi) (wk), Shan Masood (Multan Sultans), Usman Khan (Hyderabad Kingsmen), Shadab Khan (Islamabad United), Hassan Khan (Hyderabad Kingsmen), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars), Hunain Shah (Hyderabad Kingsmen), Sufyan Moqim (Peshawar Zalmi), Richard Gleeson (Islamabad United) and Hasan Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators) (12th player).
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