Russia breaks record with 11-0 win over Brunei, surpassing San Marino rout

The Russian national team made history on Friday by recording their largest-ever victory, thrashing Brunei 11-0 in a friendly match at the Krasnodar Stadium. The result broke the previous record of 9-0, set in 2019 during a European Championship qualifier against San Marino.

The match was a one-sided affair from the start, with Russia leading 4-0 by halftime thanks to a brace from Obliakov, an own goal by Othman, and a strike from Morozov. After the break, the floodgates truly opened as Russia added seven more goals through Sadulaev (48'), Krivtsov (57'), Musaev (62'), Mostovoy (67'), Chernikov (73'), Batrakov (79'), and Adamov (88').

The 27,000 fans in attendance celebrated the emphatic win over Brunei, currently ranked 184th in the FIFA rankings. Obliakov, who scored twice, was the only player to repeat in the scoring department after his goal in Russia's previous record win against San Marino.

Russia’s next match will take place on Tuesday in Volgograd, where they face Syria in another friendly. However, securing opponents has been an ongoing challenge for the team due to their exclusion from official competitions since 2021, following the invasion of Ukraine.

In recent months, Russia has played friendlies against teams like Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, Uzbekistan, and Cuba, with mixed results, including draws against Kenya and Qatar and a defeat to Egypt’s Olympic team. However, they’ve shown improved form recently with identical 4-0 wins over Serbia and Belarus.

Despite the lack of competitive matches, Russia’s head coach Valeri Karpin, in charge since 2021, has signed a contract extension through July 2028. While their chances of returning to major tournaments remain slim as the war in Ukraine continues, Karpin and his team are determined to maintain the squad’s readiness for whenever international opportunities arise.