FIFA, Let’s Make ‘The Other Final’ a Permanent Fixture

We’re taking a trip back to 2002, a period of football that would have today’s ‘nostalgia merchants’ drooling, insisting that the beautiful game was truly beautiful back then and not the soft circus it has supposedly become. Sorry to burst your bubble, but we’re shedding light on a different type of beautiful football. It’s FIFA rank 202 vs 203.

“The Other Final” was the brainchild of two Dutchmen who wanted to rival the 2002 World Cup Final. Their idea was simple: pit two of the worst teams on the planet against each other.

Bhutan and Montserrat, bottom of the FIFA rankings at the time, were chosen for the occasion. The date was set for the very same day as Brazil vs Germany, 30 June. And it wasn’t just a desperate grab for attention. There was genuine interest, with Premier League referee Steve Bennett even volunteering to officiate.

Johann Kramer and Matthijs de Jongh were the two friends behind this idea. From a room in Amsterdam, they contacted the federations of Bhutan and Montserrat in December of the previous year. Within three weeks, both had said yes. Thimphu was chosen as the venue, a city nestled in the Himalayas where serene silence meets unmatched mountain views.

For both sets of players, it was a rare chance to simply play. Both Bhutan and Montserrat were new to FIFA, and they were not exactly at the top of anyone’s friendly list. Before “The Other Final,” Bhutan had lost 3-0 to Nepal, 20-0 to Kuwait, and 11-2 to Yemen. Montserrat had barely played at all.

For the tiny Caribbean nation, the journey was even tougher. To reach Bhutan, they traveled from Montserrat to Antigua to Curaçao to Amsterdam to Bangkok to Kolkata and finally to Thimphu. It was a 21,000 km trip during which nine players went down with food poisoning. Most of them had no idea where Bhutan even was.

So it is hardly surprising when you read the final scoreline. Bhutan won 4-0, with three goals from Wangyal Dorji and one from Dinesh Chhetri.

Bennett, who oversaw the match, later told The Set Pieces: “Bhutan was, by far, the stronger team and far more professional. Montserrat struggled a little bit, they had a few injuries, but the sportsmanship and some of the challenges were, at times, not what you would’ve expected. In all, the game came to a safe conclusion, but Montserrat did find it more difficult than Bhutan.”

Still, it was an event to remember. Reports confirmed 20,000 people packed into a stadium that, until then, had only ever hosted archery. VIPs attended, and many in Bhutan watched football live for the very first time and fell in love with the game we all cherish.

Some might scoff at two of the world’s weakest nations playing each other. But was it really an insult to football? Hardly. For everyone involved, except perhaps Bennett, it was the first time they received international coverage of any kind. Media giants like BBC and Gazzetta dello Sport traveled all the way to Thimphu to cover it. For Montserrat’s players, it was a complete change of scenery and an experience they would never forget.

Why we think FIFA should make this fixture permanent

No, we are not talking about an annual Bhutan vs Montserrat fixture. Bhutan have risen steadily in the FIFA rankings since 2002 and now sit at 186. Montserrat are doing even better at 178. Technically, they are no longer the worst teams in the world.

What we at Eleventh Minute are advocating for is the concept of “The Other Final.” Let the two lowest-ranked nations face each other on the same day the best do. Not to mock them, but to give them the attention and spotlight they rarely receive.

Because let’s be honest, BBC does not fly halfway across the world to cover Anguilla or the British Virgin Islands. But if the event is organized, publicized, and given importance, it suddenly becomes a platform. A stage for players who would otherwise never be seen. And the truth is, the only way they can properly showcase their abilities is by playing against teams closer to their own level.

Take San Marino as an example. They only earned their first competitive win in 2024 and are currently ranked 210, bottom of FIFA’s table. Yet every year they enter European qualifiers, facing sides from a continent where the level is far higher. Most of the time, it ends with a 7-0 or 8-0 scoreline. And yes, that is brave and commendable. But surely we can cut them some slack and let them face other smaller nations, at least in friendlies.

Just imagine the scenes

After the Bhutan vs Montserrat game, both sets of players celebrated. And that is what it should all be about. They were not playing for World Cup glory like Brazil or Germany were that same day (Brazil won, by the way). They were simply having fun, showing the world that they too love the game and deserve their place in it.

Bennett, after the final whistle, recalled: “All the players and VIPs came on the field of play and did this traditional dance. I don’t think I’ll ever see that again. It was very unique to the occasion. It was another side of football. The stadium itself was very different compared to stadiums in Europe. There was a temple on one side where the VIPs sat close to it, and another side where many of the fans gathered. It was a remarkable occasion for many reasons.”

That evening, the Bhutanese and Montserratian players sat together to watch the World Cup Final, sharing laughs and creating memories for a lifetime. Football does not get much more wholesome than this. And in 2025, when being a fan has never been more expensive, it is worth remembering what it is like to simply enjoy the game.

And for those wondering how it really benefits football: attention brings coverage, and coverage brings money. For the lowest-ranked teams, that is a way out of the bottom. Bhutan and Montserrat themselves rose up the rankings in the years that followed.

Today, if FIFA, UEFA, CONCACAF, or even two fans like Kramer and de Jongh decided to revive “The Other Final,” it would be San Marino against Anguilla. It would be great for the European minnows, and even better for Anguilla, who struggle to arrange friendlies as it is.

Both nations would have a genuine chance to climb the rankings. And once they did, the next “Other Final” could be passed on to two new minnows. It is a simple idea, and one FIFA could use to shine a light on the forgotten end of the footballing spectrum.

Let’s get it done.

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