Match report: Romania vs. Sweden
Romania’s national football team has suffered its fourth consecutive defeat in the 2026 UEFA Nations League, going down 1–0 at home to Sweden in Bucharest.
Florin Orban, 06.10.2026, 13:45
Playing in front of a 50,000-strong crowd, Romania produced an improved performance compared to their previous outings in League B, Group 4, but were ultimately undone by a 14th-minute strike from Swedish forward Viktor Gyökeres, who plays his club football for Arsenal.
Although Sweden did not perform at their maximum capacity, the hosts were unable to break them down. Despite applying heavy pressure and attacking frequently, Romania lacked a clinical edge up front and struggled to pose a genuine threat in the final third.
Speaking after the match, head coach Gheorghe Hagi reflected on the result:
“Even though we lost again, it was a good performance from us. We could have done more, but perhaps in time we can grow our confidence and mentality, take more initiative, want it more, run more, fight more, and be aggressive in the opponent’s half. And then I believe the victory will come. These are four matches without a win. Before, I saw things differently. I had confidence, but step by step, I realized we have to work very hard to get to where we hope to be, able to fight the big teams.”
The defeat leaves Romania rooted to the bottom of Group 4 with four losses from four games. Their campaign opened with a 2–1 defeat away to Sweden in Stockholm, followed by a 4–2 home loss against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a heavy 6–0 reverse against Poland in Warsaw.
Romania will play their final two fixtures of the current Nations League campaign in November, hosting Poland on November 14 before traveling to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on November 17. With qualification out of reach, the initial objective of finishing in the top two, securing a spot in Pot 2 for the Euro 2028 qualifiers and avoiding top-tier opponents, can no longer be achieved. (VP)
