Romania vs Wales - prediction, team news, lineups

Watching on from afar as the World Cup draws near, both Wales and Romania will look to the future when they meet for an international friendly on Saturday evening.

Set to wrap up the 2025-26 campaign at Stadionul Steaua, the Dragons are making their first visit to Bucharest since suffering a 5-1 defeat 34 years ago.

Match preview

Wales fell short of a second successive World Cup appearance when they lost their playoff semi-final to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalties, so Craig Bellamy is now building towards next season's UEFA Nations League.

Bellamy's boys face a tough task to survive in League A - where they must take on Portugal, Denmark and Norway in the autumn - but they could be forgiven for glancing further ahead.

Wales will co-host Euro 2028 with England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, offering a rare chance to play tournament football on home soil.

More immediately, the Dragons must try to end a three-game winless streak, having followed that loss to Bosnia with a drab 1-1 draw against Northern Ireland, then recorded the same result again on Tuesday.

Netting his first international goal, Lewis Koumas headed in a late leveller to stave off defeat against World Cup-bound Ghana in a low-key friendly at Cardiff City Stadium.

Now set to sign off another long season, Wales will attempt to finally beat Romania, having failed to so in four previous meetings.

The most recent - and by far the most famous - was back in November 1993, when a 2-1 home loss cost Cymru a place at USA '94.

A 1-0 semi-final defeat to Turkey also saw Romania crash out of the World Cup playoffs, so their wait for an eighth appearance will go on.

In fact, the Tricolorii last trod the global stage back in 1998, when all-time great Gheorghe Hagi pulled the strings in surely their best-ever side.

Following his nation's latest qualifying failure, Hagi has returned for a second stint as head coach, having previously overseen four matches back in 2001.

Succeeding late coaching legend Mircea Lucescu, the former Barcelona star began with a 1-1 draw in Georgia earlier this week, with his son Ianis Hagi fittingly wearing the number 10.

Now - in their final game before tackling a tough Nations League group also featuring Bosnia, Poland and Sweden - Romania will host higher-rated opponents, who they trail by 19 places in FIFA's world rankings.

Romania International Friendlies form:

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Romania form (all competitions):

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Wales International Friendlies form:

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Wales form (all competitions):

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Team News

Fulham forward Harry Wilson and Swansea City defender Ben Cabango both withdrew from the initial Wales squad due to injury, joining several other regulars on the sidelines.

Midfielders Jordan James, Liam Cullen and Rubin Colwill - plus Oxford United forward Mark Harris - have all missed out on this month's camp through fitness issues. Dylan Lawlor will not travel to Bucharest because of a knee problem.

More positively, Cymru captain Ben Davies has returned from a serious ankle injury, while Burnley full-back Connor Roberts could make his first competitive appearance this year.

Bellamy may rotate after an underwhelming draw with Ghana in Cardiff, but Dan James will surely keep his place on the right wing, having twice struck the woodwork.

Meanwhile, Romania boss Hagi dished out several debuts on Tuesday, when 20-year-old Andrei Borza made his first start at left-back.

There might be more minutes for newcomers this weekend, as Ionut Radu, Nicosur Bancu, Andrei Ratiu and PSV winger Dennis Man all withdrew with various muscular problems.

The hosts' lineup is therefore uncertain, but Radu Dragusin will most likely helm a back four, with Hagi junior filling the free role behind a lone striker.

Romania possible starting lineup:

Tarnovanu; Sorescu, Dragusin, Ghita, Borza; Marin, Stanciu; Morutan, Hagi, Mihaila; Munteanu

Wales possible starting lineup:

Darlow; Roberts, Rodon, Mepham, Williams; Sheehan, Ampadu; James, Brooks, Thomas; Koumas