Romania football predictions, goalscorers and fixtures

Back to select country

Romanian national football team-Echipa naţională de fotbal a României

The Romanian national football team represents Romania in the international men's football competition and is managed by the Romanian Football Association. They are colloquially known as Tricolorii (The Tricolours).

Romania is one of the only four national teams from Europe - the other three are Yugoslavia, France and Belgium - that participated in the first World Cup in 1930. Since this achievement, Romania has qualified for the years 1934, 1938 and 1970. Issues 1990, 1994 and 1998. Under the leadership of playmaker Gheorghe Hagi, the team reached the quarter-finals in 1994. They were eliminated by Sweden on penalties after defeating Argentina.

In the European Championship Romania achieved the best performance in 2000, when it moved from a group with Germany, Portugal and England in the quarterfinals, before it fell on the eventual runner-up Italy. They reached the last eight in 1960 and 1972 and qualified for the tournaments in 1984, 1996, 2008 and 2016.

The Romanian squad was exclusively domestic, although the big teams in Italy and Spain were increasingly buying up foreign talent. Midfielder Ilie Dumitrescu, striker Florin Răducioiu and ingenious playmaker Gheorghe Hagi were in the squad.

With Cameroon-stunned World Champion Argentina in the opening match of the tournament, Romania scored a convincing victory over the Soviet Union in San Nicola, Bari, with Marius Lăcătuş scoring in each half. The result was all the more impressive given the absence of Hagi. However, there was controversy when Lăcătus's second goal was a penalty for a handball match by Vagiz Khidiatullin, who was clearly out of the penalty area.

Romania was the next victim of Cameroon in Bari. The 38-year-old cult hero Roger Milla came in to replace Emmanuel Maboang Kessack and scored twice before Gavril Balint dropped back. Romania needed a point in his last game against Argentina at San Paolo in Naples. Pedro Monzón put Argentina ahead after just one hour, but Balint quickly made up and Romania held the second round.

Against the Irish national team of Jack Charlton in Genoa, Romania did not have the quality to break a defensive opposition. Daniel Timofte was the only player to miss the penalty shootout - his kick saved by Packie Bonner - and Romania dropped out.

---

---