Sport Club RRI

Romania will face Turkey on Thursday in the World Cup playoff semifinal

Florin Orban, 25.03.2026, 13:45

Romania’s national football team is, in theory, just two steps away from this summer’s World Cup. The Tricolours must win the two playoff matches scheduled for Thursday and Tuesday. We know the Romanian team’s opponent only for the first match. Coach Mircea Lucescu’s squad will face Turkey in the playoff semi-final. The match is scheduled to take place in Istanbul at the Beşiktaş stadium. The hosts appear to be the favourites in every respect. They have players on top European teams, such as midfielders Hakan Çalhanoğlu of Internazionale Milano and Salih Özcan of Borussia Dortmund, as well as forwards Arda Güler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yıldız of Juventus Turin. They have been performing well lately. At the 2024 European Championship, Turkey reached the quarterfinals, where they lost to the Netherlands. In Group E of World Cup qualifiers, they finished second behind Spain, thereby advancing to the playoffs. They defeated Bulgaria 6-1 and 2-0, and beat Georgia 3-2 and 4-1. Last November, they pulled off a remarkable 2-2 draw away from home against Spain after leading 2-1. The third argument in Turkey’s favour is that they are playing at home, and the fans in Istanbul can create a passionate atmosphere.

The Romanian national team has been undergoing a rebuilding process for several years. Radu Drăguşin of Tottenham is considered the team’s most prominent player. Dennis Man of Eindhoven and Andrei Raţiu of Rayo Vallecano are also highly respected. For the match in Istanbul, coach Mircea Lucescu has included three players currently playing in Turkey in the squad: Ianis Hagi of Alanyaspor, Deian Sorescu of Gaziantep, and Valentin Mihăilă of Rizespor.

Romania holds a historical advantage in its matches against Turkey. Of the 26 official and friendly matches played so far, the Romanian national team has won 14. Seven games ended in a draw, and the Turks have won five times. In their most recent match, held in Istanbul, Romania won 1-0 during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, a tournament for which the Romanian national team did not qualify. It is also worth noting that the modern Turkish national team played its first international match against Romania. The game took place on October 26, 1923, in Istanbul at Taksim Stadium, and ended in a 2-2 draw.

If they beat Turkey, the Romanian national team will play the playoff final—also away from home—against the winner of the match between Slovakia and Kosovo, who face off on Thursday in Bratislava. The decisive match is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31. (MI)