Romania beat Poland 2-1 at the Arena Națională in Bucharest in their opening match of the 2026 Nations League, ending a run of four consecutive defeats. Alex Cicâldău and Dennis Man scored the Romanian goals. The result gave the national side its first three points in the competition and the first official win under coach Gică Hagi.
Man, a 28-year-old winger who plays for PSV Eindhoven, was the player who helped settle the contest. The second half was described as stormy in parts, with the visitors pressing for an equaliser while the home side worked to protect its lead. For a Romanian team that had gone four matches without a win, the performance gave the squad a result to build on at the start of the new cycle.
Poland's Robert Lewandowski was reported to have been quiet in the match, and one outlet rated his performance poorly. For a team that had hoped to make an immediate impression in the Nations League, the defeat leaves Poland with ground to make up in the group, and the match offered little for the Polish attack to point to in terms of openings created.
Off the pitch, attention has turned to Man's future. His agent, Giovanni Becali, commented on the winger's situation on match day and framed the current phase of his career as a renaissance. The reporting indicates that Man is close to a transfer to another strong European club. The deal has not been completed, and neither the destination club nor the fee has been confirmed in the available material.
Man also published comments on Romania's next steps after the match, although the material available does not detail their content. The Romanian camp's immediate focus is on consolidating a result that breaks a difficult sequence, while the player's move remains a matter of ongoing negotiation rather than a settled deal.