Gheorghe Hagi

Lore & Background

Hagi began his career with FC Constanța's youth teams in 1978, making his Divizia A debut at age 17. He later played for Sportul Studențesc, where he became top-scorer of the league for two consecutive seasons, and then Steaua București, winning multiple titles and scoring the only goal in the 1986 European Super Cup final. He also played for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Brescia, and Galatasaray, ending his career with the Turkish club.

At international level, Hagi played for Romania in three FIFA World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998) and three UEFA European Championships (1984, 1996, 2000). He earned 124 caps, making him the second-most capped Romanian player, and is joint all-time leading goalscorer for Romania with 35 goals. He was named in the 1994 World Cup All-Star Team after helping Romania reach the quarter-finals.

After retiring in 2001, Hagi managed the Romania national team and several clubs in Romania and Turkey. In 2009, he founded Romanian club Viitorul Constanța and established a namesake football academy, one of the largest in Southeastern Europe. He is currently a minority shareholder of Liga I club Farul Constanța.

Reader's Guide

Gheorghe Hagi is regarded as one of the best football players of his generation, named Romanian Footballer of the Year a record seven times. He was nominated six times for the Ballon d'Or, with a best finish of 4th in 1994. In 2003, UEFA selected him as the Golden Player of Romania, the nation's most outstanding player of the past 50 years. In 2004, Pelé named him one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers. World Soccer Magazine ranked him 25th in its list of the 100 greatest players of the 20th century. Hagi is considered a hero both in his homeland and in Turkey, where Galatasaray fans called him 'Comandante'. His legacy includes founding a major football academy and being one of the few footballers to have played for both Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Did You Know?

• Hagi scored the only goal in the 1986 European Super Cup final for Steaua București.
• He is one of the few footballers to have played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona.
• Hagi was named in the 1994 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.
• He founded Romanian club Viitorul Constanța in 2009.