Article by Justin Gafiuc, Liviu Manolache – published on Sunday, September 07, 2025, 00:23 / Updated Sunday, September 7, 2025 00:23
Nicolae Stanciu entered the top 10 selections at the representative, where only 17 matches of the entrance to the luxury gallery of those with at least 100 games in the Romanian shirt. It's above and in the hierarchy all-time of captains: just passed the duck
It's 9 and a half years since he debuted at the national team. He has collected 6262 minutes and 15 goals so far, and, after the friendly with Ukraine, he also entered a select hierarchy: he entered the top 10 all-time of most selections for Romania.
This is Nicolae Stanciu, who, on Saturday evening, equalized on the locksmith and Rednic, 83 national presence. And it won't stop here!
Almost a decade in the representative T -shirt: two final Euro tiers, two World Cup
On March 23, 2016, Nicolae Stanciu dressed for the first time the shirt of Romania. It happened in a friendly with Lithuania, 1-0, when the 23-year-old midfielder entered the break instead of Florin Tanase, under the baton of the coach Anghel Iordănescu.
Andrei Rațiu, amazed by Stanciu's goal in Romania – Ukraine 3-0 (Euro 2024)
Moreover, he would decide the final result, with a goal scored in the 65th minute. A jewel: ball captured 40 meters from the opponent's gate, progress about 10-15 meters on a free space and a fabulous trainer to the right of Zubas, the goal-keeper incapable of a blockage to the extent.
Since then, there has been a journey that approaches a decade to national. And includes two final tournaments, Euro 2016 and Euro 2024. In France, at the Gală match in the EC opening, in Paris, he obtained the penalty transformed by Stancu at the dramatic defeat against the hosts, 1-2. And he tasted 90 minutes of the bitter disappointment from the last game in the group, 0-1 with Albania.
And in Germany, last year, he made a master match at Epic 3-0 with Ukraine from Munich, where he scored a generic goal, Cross from the edge of the box directly in Lunin's Vincl.
Launched to the top of those with a minimum of 100 matches for Romania
Marius Lăcătuș will remain soon behind Stanciu in terms of matches played at national
With another logical presence in Nicosia, Stanciu will remain alone on the tenth step of the top of the selections, and the following terminals are near: Lobonț – 86, Klein – 89, Star – 91.
If they keep the rhythm of presence, it could reach a minimum of 100 matches next year, performance that only five people have reached: D. Munteanu, Gh. Hagi, Gh. Popescu, Raț and Boloni.
Here's what the up -to -date ranking looks like:
Top 10 All Time National Presences
- 134 – Dorinel Munteanu
- 124 – Gheorghe Hagi
- 115 – Gheorghe Popescu II
- 113 – Răzvan Raț
- 102 – Laszlo Boloni
- 95 – Dan Petrescu
- 91 – Bogdan Stelea
- 89 – Michael Klein
- 86 – Bogdan Lobonț
- 83 – Nicolae Stanciu
- 83 – Marius Lăcãtuș
- 83 – Mircea Rednic
Overded on the duck, follows Gică Popescu
Răzvan Raț wore 28 times the captain's banner, Stanciu overtook in the friendly with Canada
But it is not the only chapter at which Stanciu attacks the national charts. He also constantly advances in the hierarchy of the captains, to whom, with Canada, he exceeded Răzvan Raț (28). He has now reached 29 banners, and the following targets are Gh. Popescu (34) and Cornel Dinu (38). These are the steps that separate him from the access to the Top 5 all-time captains of the tricolors.
Top 10 All-Time Captain Romania
- Gheorghe Hagi 65
- Cristian Chivu 50
- Vlad Chiriches 44
- Costică Ştefănescu 43
- Cornel Dinu 38
- Gheorghe Popescu II 34
- Nicolae Stanciu 29
- Răzvan Raţ 28
- Laszlo Boloni 23
- Mircea Lucescu 22
- Emeric Vogl 22
