About Romania

The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) traces its origins to October 1909, when the Association of Sports Clubs in Romania was founded in Bucharest — one of the earliest football governing bodies in Eastern Europe. Romania joined FIFA on 20 May 1923 and became a UEFA founding member in 1954. The national team made its debut on 8 June 1922, defeating Yugoslavia 2–1. Romania participated in the very first FIFA World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay, entered by King Carol II himself.

Romania's greatest achievement came at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, where the team reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Sweden on penalties. The squad was built around Gheorghe Hagi — nicknamed the "Maradona of the Carpathians" — alongside Florin Răducioiu and Dan Petrescu. The generation also reached the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2000 and produced multiple players who starred in top European club competitions throughout the 1990s.

Romania also claimed four Balkan Cup titles and won the UEFA U-18 Championship in 1962. The federation transitioned to professionalism on 1 August 1991 following the political changes of 1989. Răzvan Burleanu has served as FRF president since March 2014, overseeing the federation's ongoing development and modernisation.