Bangladesh to play in Europe for first time

Bangladesh has played against European teams only twice in its history—both in the Sahara Cup in 2001, against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Yugoslavia. Since then, 25 long years have passed without any matches against European sides.

Finally, that long wait is coming to an end. Jamal Bhuiyan and Hamza Chowdhury’s squad will take on San Marino in a friendly match, which will be held in San Marino on June 5. This will mark Bangladesh’s first-ever game on European soil. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) announced the news today in an official statement.

Questions may arise about how challenging San Marino will be for Bangladesh. On one hand, San Marino is ranked 211th in the FIFA rankings and has managed to win only three matches in total—each against the same opponent, Liechtenstein.

Of these victories, one came in a friendly match in 2004, while the other two were competitive wins in the 2024 Nations League.