Ionuț Lupescu, a former Romanian international, has expressed admiration for the Japanese national football team while highlighting shortcomings in Romania’s performance. He made a stark comparison between Romania and the African teams participating in the World Cup, suggesting that Romania would struggle to rank among the top ten if it were competing in the Africa Cup.
Lupescu has been impressed with Japan’s performance, noting their advancement to the knockout stage where they will face Brazil on June 29 at 20:00. He remarked on Japan’s quality of play, stating, “They play high-quality football, have established routines, and score beautiful goals.” He lamented that Romania has lost touch with the development of football in recent years.
Ionuț Lupescu: “A team I really like is Japan”
During a discussion with Adi Mutu, Lupescu said, “If Romania were in the Africa Cup, I don’t believe we would be among the top ten teams. Teams like Ivory Coast, Senegal, Morocco, and Egypt have improved significantly, with their players competing in strong leagues across Spain, England, and France.” He added, “The difference is clear: they are on the field, while we are watching from home. The upcoming match between Brazil and Japan should be very interesting, with a 50-50 chance, perhaps slightly favoring Brazil given Ancelotti’s experience in such matches. However, in terms of player quality, the teams are equal,” Lupescu said during the “Liga Digi Sport” show.
The 2026 World Cup will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, marking a historic first with 48 teams participating. The tournament will feature a total of 104 matches over 38 days, making it the longest World Cup in history.
