As any Irish football fan of a certain vintage can attest, Liechtenstein can be a famously difficult place to go. In June 1995, Jack Charlton took a Republic of Ireland side that was ranked ninth in the world to this tiny country for a Euro 96 qualifier against a team of part-timers that included several bankers, a draughtsman, a wine grower, a mechanic, a builder and the obligatory postman. In Mario Frick, Liechtenstein boasted their only professional player as they lined up in the ramshackle 4,500-capacity Sportpark-Eschen Mauren to face a team that included the likes of John Aldridge, Niall Quinn, Jason McAteer, Paul McGrath and Denis Irwin. The ground was full, with the crowd largely comprising Ireland fans who expected a rout but ended up applauding the home side on their lap of honour after they had held their opponents to a scoreless draw. To their acute embarrassment, Ireland had somehow failed to score from any of their 40 shots on goal and drawn with a ski resort.

While football-related celebrations are few and far between in Liechtenstein, almost 30 years on it was the visiting team’s turn to do a lap of honour in the nation’s new and improved digs, the Rheinpark Stadion in Vaduz. Belying their official ranking as the worst international football team in the world, San Marino did what Ireland couldn’t all those years ago, scoring three goals in a match for the very first time and securing promotion to the third tier of the Nations League.

Previously and almost certainly still best known for going one up against England inside nine seconds of a World Cup qualifier in 1993, San Marino travelled to Vaduz on the back of 199 defeats in the 211 fixtures they have contested and having never won away from home. While the odds of victory might have seemed stacked against them, at least they travelled safe in the knowledge that the only two victories in their history had come against Monday night’s opposition.

Make that three. Without a win since 2020, Liechtenstein took a first-half lead but had no answer for goals after the break from Lorenzo Lazzari, Nicola Nanni and Alessandro Golinucci, hence why their manager, Roberto Cevoli, was so delighted. “Finishing that first half 1-0 down was an insult to football, but the boys were brilliant and deserved what they’ve managed to achieve,” he parped. His boss, Marco Tura, chief blazer in the San Marino football federation, was similarly enthused. “These boys made history,” he roared. “As people, as athletes, as men, they have shown what they are worth. I cried with the boys.” While it might have been the greatest in Sammarinese football history, Monday also provided vindication for the often maligned Nations League. Introduced to cut out the need for pointless friendlies, its four-tiered system at least provides an accurate measure of progress for the kind of teams who never win anything, as England, Northern Ireland and San Marino have already proved this week.

Join Scott Murray from 7.45pm GMT for hot Nations League minute-by-minute coverage of Wales 2-0 Iceland.

“Since Elon Musk took over the platform, hate speech, hatred towards minorities, right-wing extremist posts and conspiracy theories have been allowed to spread at an incredible pace, all under the guise of freedom of speech. The radicalisation of the platform is being actively driven by Elon Musk and his personal posts, which include transphobic and antisemitic comments, as well as the spreading of conspiracy narratives” – Werder Bremen become the second Bundesliga club to quit X, following St Pauli’s decision last week.

The mention of 90s BBC lunchtime staple Turnabout (yesterday’s Football Daily) inevitably resulted in me trawling YouTube to find old episodes of a quiz show I used to love, given its run coincided with me being in sixth form or at university. Imagine my surprise when I read the comment ‘Guardian Football Weekly has brought me here’ – from two years ago. Were you recycling old content? I suppose it’s consistent with a wider green agenda” – Adam Clark.

Something has gone very wrong in the world this month when Donald Trump has been reelected, Gary Lineker is unemployed, Mike Tyson looks mellow and now Scotland are winning both home and away, despite not even being on the telly any more. Is this some kind of rip in the tartan fabric of the space-time continuum?” – Justin Kavanagh.

Re: Memory Lane (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition). Either that fella with the bass is emulating Hendrix on the guitar and playing a right-handed bass left-handed, or whatever they were serving at the Hilton was a hell of a lot stronger than what they’d serve pro footballers these days” – Dave T Lloyd.

Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is …. Adam Clark, who lands their very own piece of Football Weekly merch. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.

Our man David Squires on … his favourite characters after 10 years drawing cartoons for Big Website. Oh, it’s good.

Get over to Big Website’s football bookshop, where you’ll find everything from David Squires’s latest to other new releases from Nick Miller, Miguel Delaney and Daisy Christodoulou.

Thomas Tuchel will likely be cursing Lee Carsley after reading his predecessor’s out-of-office as England’s interim manager heads off to into an Under-21-tinted sunset. “I think we have the talent to [win the World Cup],” whooped Carsley, who after months of playing down expectations has managed to heap some pressure upon the German. “I have been lucky now to be at the last couple of World Cups and the timing of the players being in form, physically and mentally, at the right time, picking the right squad. We have got all the tools. We just need to play them in the order.”

Chelsea Pride has condemned the homophobic abuse aimed at Sam Kerr after the striker announced she was having a baby with fiancee, Kristie Mewis. Grimly predictable abuse followed on certain social media platforms. “Homophobia has no place in football, at Chelsea, or in our society,” said the club’s LGBTQ+ group. “It’s heartbreaking and infuriating to see social media flooded with hateful comments when we should be celebrating love, pride and unity.”

Marc Skinner has responded to Irene Guerrero saying she needed to go to the bathroom and cry during Manchester United training sessions under him by saying he is confident the club has “a great support team behind the scenes”.

England manager Sarina Wiegman isn’t over the moon at the lack of gametime for Chloe Kelly at Manchester City. “It’s a concern right now,” she sighed.

Scotland have gone and booked themselves some more hot Nations League action in March after Andy Robertson’s late winner at a cracker in Poland earned them a playoff place to retain their top-tier status.

After his visa issues, Rúben Amorim has taken his first training session at Manchester United, where he could be seen revolutionising the club’s fortunes by having the players run, kick a ball around and even using Mason Mount, as well as other mannequins.

Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre is recovering after being hit by a full can of Tin during their Concacaf Nations League match against Honduras, who won the first leg of the quarter-final 2-0. Honduras have been ordered to play their next home match behind closed doors after Aguirre was struck by the can, which left the 65-year-old with blood pouring down his face. “It’s football, I’m not one to complain,” said Aguirre.

And West Ham and Fulham are sniffing around Manchester City’s James McAtee, who shone on loan at Sheffield United last year but has largely kicked his heels back at City this term.

Fifa’s expanded Club World Cup is stomping gracelessly all over the 2026 calendar, but Philippe Auclair wonders whether it’ll even happen, given uncertainty over sponsorship and broadcasting.

The latest in our Golden Goal series: Daniel Harris on why Brian McClair’s two-yard wonder strike for Manchester United against Sheffield Wednesday in 1991 was a window into the human soul.

Ewan Murray on the state of fitba, Steve Clarke and the “wonderful chaos” of Scotland’s dramatic win in Poland.

Will Thomas Tuchel give Lee Carsley’s new England kids a chance when he gets down to business? David Hytner eyes up the possibilities.

Suzanne Wrack sifts through a mixed bag of attendance figures at the weekend’s WSL matches but says the overall trajectory remains healthy.

Have France finally found a steely side after a changed side won in Italy? Raphaël Jucobin assesses Les Bleus’ recent Nations League outings.

And Tom Dart has some USA USA USA musings on “Captain Maga”, Mauricio Pochettino and Missouri’s answer to Thiago Silva.

18 January 1987: Arsenal fans clear snow off the Highbury terraces after manager George Graham promised free tickets to supporters who would help out so that the Division One match against Coventry could go ahead. It did take place, with just over 17,000 hardy souls turning out to watch a goalless draw.