Players and fans in Andorra, the small country in the Pyrenees nestled between France and Spain with a population under 100,000, have watched every FIFA World Cup™
on their TV sets, as their dreams of qualifying have always ended in disappointment. However, they can still point to having competed against footballers who go on to shine on the biggest international stage.
Andorra has won four matches World Cup qualifying since 16 August 2000, when it began its European campaign for the 2002 tournament. They recorded no wins in that first qualifying campaign, one win in attempting to reach Germany in 2006 and no wins in the following two attempts for the 2010 and 2014 events. They did achieve one victory on the road to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, and two wins were secured in the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
FIFA looks back at these four landmark dates in the history of Andorran football with those involved, with the emotions, goals and celebrations standing out in the memory.
13 October 2004: Andorra 1-0 North Macedonia
Andorra clinched their first-ever win on the road to the FIFA World Cup in 2004, which was also their maiden victory in an official match after 30 previous unsuccessful attempts. Six years after making their debut at this level in the run-up to UEFA Euro 2000, the principality’s national team had cause for celebration. This was thanks to Marc Bernaus, who was playing for Spanish side Elche at the time. “It left us lost for words. It was an incredible feeling. I can still remember seeing the ball hit the back of the net,” said Beraus.
The move leading to the goal is still crystal clear in his mind. “We had a throw-in and I was on the edge of the box waiting for a possible loose ball. The ball came and I knew I had to get a shot off quickly because the defence was going to close me down. I controlled it and struck it right next to the post. The goalkeeper had no chance,” he said, reminiscing about the historic goal in the 60th minute. Andorra finished that qualifying campaign with five points, having also drawn away in North Macedonia and at home to Finland.
9 June 2017: Andorra 1-0 Hungary
Following two consecutive World Cup qualifying campaigns without a win (and 20 defeats in total), the 2018 qualifiers brought an end to that drought. It wasn’t against any old team, either, as Hungary – a nation with a rich international history – caved under the pressure at the Estadi Nacional. “We believed in our hard work and ability to compete. I was bursting with joy when we got the goal, but the game was far from over and we had to suffer until the end. It was a magical evening,” said goalscorer Marc Rebes.
With 26 minutes gone, Rebes beat Peter Gulacsi with a stunning header. “I won the ball back in midfield and spotted an opportunity to break, so I dribbled forward before finding Jordi Alaez on the wing. I knew I had to get on the end of it, so I went into the box. Jordi threaded a great pass into space for Txus. Once I saw that he was going to cross it, I knew I had to make a run for the far post. Txus laid it on a plate for me and I just had to connect with the header, aiming for the opposite post, beyond Gulacsi’s reach.”
2 September 2021: Andorra 2-0 San Marino
The road to Qatar 2022 saw Andorra’s best campaign to date, picking up two wins and a total of six points. It was their third win and the first by a two-goal margin. Both goals came from Marc Vales, a centre-back who was with the Norwegian side Sandefjord at the time. “It was a tight match, but luck was on our side with the two goals I scored from set pieces. You don’t get to score a brace with such a small national team every day. It’s one of my favourite memories of my career,” said the hero of the hour.
The goals came in the 18th and 24th minutes, leaving Andorra with a long spell to defend the scoreline. “They applied a lot of pressure in the second half, but our goalkeeper did great to keep them out,” Vales added. They held on for three points at home and just over a month later, fortune smiled on them again.
12 October 2021: San Marino 0-3 Andorra
The fourth win was a record-breaker, both by the margin of victory and for being the first away from home. Goals from Marc Pujol (10), Sergi Moreno (53) and Ricard Fernandez (89) put the San Marino Stadium in Serravalle in the history books of Andorran football.
Pujol opened the scoring, recalling the occasion as follows, “During that qualifying campaign, our attack went up a gear. We really felt in control of the game during that victory. It was very positive for me personally to get that goal.”
Andorra’s record-holder
If you talk about football in Andorra, the name Ildefons Lima always crops up. Having played 137 matches as an international and scored 11 goals, Lima holds the record in both categories. We caught up with him to look back on a journey that began in 1997 and ended in 2023.
“I take great pride in having played for the national team for 26 years,” he said. “I gave it all I had. Playing in a World Cup qualifying campaign is amazing. When you see the finals and watch all those matches, you think, ‘We played against them in Andorra and look at how far they’ve got in the competition!’
“I was suspended for the 1-0 win against (North) Macedonia. I was playing for Rayo Vallecano, but my brother and my sister were in the stadium supporting the team. The team was close-knit family in the past and when one of us was happy, we were all happy. It was a day to remember for us.”
