1. Turks & Caicos Islands
Turks-and-Caicos-Islands-soccer
Current FIFA Ranking: 207
Not simply 2 islands, but a collection of approximately 300 islands close south of the Bahamas, 45,000 individuals call these islands home. The primary sport of the Islands is cricket, with its major source of wealth coming from tourism. Let me flip the question around to you, the reader. If you lived on a tropical paradise surrounded by the Caribbean heat, what would you do: paddle your kayak to your friend’s island hut to bounce a ball around on the sand, or would you relax on a hammock, drinking mixed cocktails on the beach? Precisely.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are presently tied for dead bottom in the international soccer rankings, exactly as they were 10 years ago, but without the excuse of a natural calamity to deflect attention off the field.
2. San Marino san-marino-cup
Current FIFA Ranking: 207
An enclave bordered by the nation of Italy, San Marino’s area is barely 24 square miles, with a population of 30,000. San Marino claims to be the world’s oldest surviving sovereign state, but a strong history cannot overcome its modest proportions. Poor San Marino has either been in last, or tied for last, in the global soccer rankings for the previous 3 years.
3. Bhutan bhutan-soccer-shirt
Current FIFA Ranking: 207
With a population of 750,000, all you have to do is glance at a geographic map of Bhutan to comprehend their logistical issues. Practically the whole nation is situated high in the Himalayan Mountains. The national sport is archery, whereas Bhutan’s biggest success in soccer was recorded in 2003’s Dutch documentary The Other Final. The movie depicts the narrative of 2002’s worst team in the world, Montserrat, losing to 2002’s second worst team in the world, Bhutan, 4 to 0. Not quite Remember The Titans.
4. Andorra andorra-soccer
Current FIFA Ranking: 204
Lying on the border between traditional soccer powerhouses Spain and France, tiny Andorra, with a population of just over 85,000, suffers not just from a limited player pool, but the fact that the nation is located nearly completely in the Pyrenees mountain range. Every year, 10 million visitors stream into Andorra’s 180-square mile perimeter to partake in anything the mountains have to offer, but the upkeep of soccer grounds is problematic at such high heights.
5. Kyrgyzstan kyrgyzstan-soccer-shirt
Current FIFA Ranking: 198
Kyrgyzstan proclaimed independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, Kyrgyzstan has struggled through political turmoil on a near-annual basis. In 2008, it was one of the top nations on the Corruption Perception Index. Riots and riots have not just their sporting institutions in flux, but virtually the whole nation.
6. Mauritius mauritius-soccer
Current FIFA Ranking: 187
The only African country with a “true” democracy, Mauritius is a tiny island of little over a million inhabitants off of the east coast of Madagascar. Unlike other countries towards the bottom of the list, Mauritius boasts a strong economy and enjoys several ultra-modern luxuries. Mauritius’ national sports teams, however, have not done well outside, owing to its tiny population, and a culture that prefers to subsidise its educational system above its athletics. What’s it all about?
7. Timor-Leste fftl-timor
Current FIFA Ranking: 185
A little country of almost a million Catholics, surrounded by 200 million Indonesians, East Timor has suffered through a decade-long independence campaign that has the United Nations patrolling the streets. Problem is, violence has endured since its independence, without enabling any true form of athletic culture to take root.
8. Brunei Darussalam
Brunei-Darussalam-soccer
Current FIFA Ranking: 185
Brunei Darussalam proclaimed independence from Britain in 1984. With huge oil and gas reserves, it is one of the wealthiest countries in Southeast Asia. Found on the island of Borneo, Brunei’s population of 400,000 is fully bordered on all borders by Malaysia. In the last 10 years, Brunei has sought to better its fortunes by spending substantially in sports, only to see their national soccer team actually slip in the international ratings.
9. Montserrat montserrat-football
Current FIFA Ranking: 176
Montserrat is a lovely island nation in the Caribbean, but has the misfortune of having an active volcano on its soil. The Soufriere Hills Volcano began erupting in 1995, and the island experienced moderate seismic activity until the year 2010. It is hard to field a soccer team when your capital is beneath 30 feet of muck. Over the previous 15 years, more than half the population has departed the nation, leaving thousands of refugees worldwide. A longtime cellar-dweller, Montserrat astonished the globe earlier this year by defeating the British Virgin Island 7-0 and jumping all the way up to #176 in the world. For now.
10. Samoa Samoa-Football
Current FIFA Ranking: 175
Samoa obtained its independence from New Zealand, in 1962. The island country is noted for its rough sports traditions, as Samoa plays frequently in the Rugby World Cup, while consistently putting players into American college football programs and the National Football League. Sadly, it’s a soccer doormat, that have been lingering near the bottom of the international rankings for the last 10 years.