Story perspectives

Romania Beats Wales 2-1, Hagi Secures First Win

6/7/2026

Summary

Romania Beats Wales

Romania beat Wales 2-1 at Stadionul Steaua in Bucharest, with Florinel Coman scoring first and Adrian Rus adding the winner after David Brooks equalised.
Wales manager Craig Bellamy called the performance disappointing despite 57% possession and nine shots on target.
Romania manager Gheorghe Hagi earned his first win since April.
Wales will resume Nations League A in September, opening with a trip to Portugal on September 24 against Denmark and Norway.

Summary

Romania Opens Hagi

A larger-than-expected crowd attended the end-of-season friendly between Romania and Wales.
The match was the first Romania-Wales encounter since the 1994 World Cup qualifier in Cardiff.
It opened Gheorghe Hagi’s second spell as Romania manager with a completely new lineup.
Wales introduced five changes, debuting 19-year-old Coventry midfielder Kai Andrews.
After a triple substitution, substitute David Brooks scored his seventh international goal.

History

Historical Context

In the 1993 World Cup qualifying campaign, Romania secured a decisive away win over Wales on 17 November, a result that helped the side reach the 1994 tournament where they later advanced to the quarter-finals. Romania have qualified for seven World Cups. Decades later, Hagi returns as Romania’s manager while Craig Bellamy leads Wales in a friendly at Stadionul Steaua, echoing the historic rivalry.

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Romania Beats Wales

Romania beat Wales 2-1 at Stadionul Steaua in Bucharest, with Florinel Coman scoring first and Adrian Rus adding the winner after David Brooks equalised.
Wales manager Craig Bellamy called the performance disappointing despite 57% possession and nine shots on target.
Romania manager Gheorghe Hagi earned his first win since April.
Wales will resume Nations League A in September, opening with a trip to Portugal on September 24 against Denmark and Norway.

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