Romania are seeking to build on a relatively successful past. They have appeared at no less than seven FIFA World Cup™ finals, reaching the quarter-finals at USA 1994 when the gifted Gheorghe Hagi was in his prime. Hagi and Co achieved a sensational result in the last 16, knocking out two-time world champions Argentina, but ultimately fell to Sweden on penalties at the next stage.

Romania exited France 1998 in the Round of 16 and failed to qualify for the last two tournaments in Korea/Japan and Germany, so a place in South Africa has become a priority for the current generation.

Romania reached UEFA EURO 2008 with ease. Boasting the likes of Cristian Chivu and Adrian Mutu, they were their first to qualify from their group, which included the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Albania, Slovenia, Belarus and Luxembourg. However, they were unable to progress from a very competitive pool in the European finals.

The Romanians finished in third place behind the Netherlands and the Czech Republic in their efforts to advance to Germany 2006, enjoying eight wins and a draw from their 12-game campaign. They finished seven points behind the Dutch, two points behind the Czechs, and nine points clear of their closest pursuers, Finland.