Romania at World Cup

The World Football Championship was created at the initiative of FIFA president Jules Rimet after successful football tournament at the Olympics. On May 28, 1928, the FIFA Congress in Amsterdam decided to Uruguay to conduct the first such competition. The national football team of Romania has participated at seven World Cup final tournaments.

Uruguay, 1930
The first World Football Championship, Copa del Mundo (World Cup), was hosted by Uruguay, Olympic champion in 1924 and 1928, which in 1930 celebrated one hundred years of independence. There were no preliminaries, all national football teams received invitations to participate. Romania was the first European country to announce its participation in the tournament. The 13 national teams were distributed in 4 groups, the winners of each group qualifying in semi-finals. Romania was in the 3rd group, along with Peru and Uruguay.

Peru - Romania 1-3 (for Romania scored Adalbert Deşu 1' - the fastest goal of the competition, Constantin Stanciu, Ştefan Barbu 85')
Uruguay - Romania 4-0

Uruguay won the World Cup, Romania was on the 8th place.

Jules Rimet Cup

Italy, 1934
Romania was qualified in a group with Swiss and Yugoslavia. In the eighths, Romania was defeated by Czechoslovakia, the finalist of the competition.

Czechoslovakia - Romania 2-1 (Puc, Nejedly - Ştefan Dobay)

Italy won the World Cup, Romania was on the 12th place.

Ştefan Dobay

France, 1938

Romania qualified by default for the 1938 World Cup after their qualifying playoff opponents Egypt withdrew. They suffered a shock defeat in the finals in France, losing to minnows Cuba, who, like Romania, had only qualified due to the withdrawal of their qualifying opponents, USA. The first match at the Stade Chapou in Toulouse ended 3–3 after extra time, but Cuba won the replay four days later 2–1.

Italy won the World Cup, Romania was on the 11th place.

Mexico, 1970

Romania was in Group 3 with England, Brazil and Czechoslovakia.

England - Romania 1-0 (Geoff Hurst)
Czechoslovakia - Romania 1-2 (Ladislav Petráš - Alexandru Neagu, Florea Dumitrache)
Brazil - Romania 3-2 (Pelé twice, Jairzinho - Florea Dumitrache, Emerich Dembrowski)

Brazil won the World Cup, Romania was on the 11th place.

Florea Dumitrache

Italy, 1990
Romania was in a group along with Argentina (the world champion), USSR (the vice-european champion), and Cameroon.

USSR - Romania 0-2 (Marius Lăcătuş twice)
Cameroon - Romania 2-0 (Roger Milla twice)
Argentina - Romania 1-1 (Pedro Monzón - Gavrilă Balint)

Second round
Ireland - Romania 0-0 (Ireland qualified at penalty shots)

West Germany won the World Cup.

Gheorghe Hagi

USA, 1994
Romania was in a group along with Colombia, Switzerland, and USA.

Colombia - Romania 1-3 (Adolfo Valencia - Florin Radu Răducioiu twice, Gheorghe Hagi)
Switzerland - Romania 4-1
USA - Romania 0-1 (Dan Petrescu)

Round of 8
Argentina - Romania 2-3 (Gabriel Batistuta, Abel Balbo - Ilie Dumitrescu twice, Gheorghe Hagi)

Quarter-finals
Sweden - Romania 2-2 (Brolin, Roland Nilsson - Florin Radu Răducioiu twice). Sweden qualified at penalty shots.

Brazil won the World Cup, Romania was on the 6th place.

Florin Radu Răducioiu

France, 1998
Romania was in a group along with Colombia, England, and Tunisia.

Colombia - Romania 0-1 (Adrian Ilie)
England - Romania 1-2 (Michael Owen - Viorel Moldovan, Dan Petrescu)
Tunisia - Romania 1-1 (Skander Souayah - Viorel Moldovan)

Round of 16
Croatia - Romania 2-0 (Davor Šuker twice)

France won the World Cup, Romania was on the 11th place.

Viorel Moldovan