Romania vs Cyprus

Romania and Cyprus will face off in Bucharest on Tuesday, each aiming to secure their second victory in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Romania, currently second in Group H with three points, holds a slight edge over third-placed Cyprus, who have the same points but an extra game to play.

Coming off a successful Nations League campaign, where they earned promotion from League C, Romania dominated their group, including a clean sweep of victories over Cyprus. This secured their return to League B after a relegation in 2022-23.

However, Romania’s World Cup qualifying journey has been inconsistent, with two losses in their first three games, including a 1-0 defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the opening matchday. While they crushed San Marino 5-1 in March, a 2-1 loss to Austria on Sunday, despite a late goal from Florin Tanase, highlighted their struggles. With hopes of reaching their first World Cup since 1998, Romania cannot afford to slip up, especially given their strong record of five consecutive wins against Cyprus.

Cyprus, meanwhile, are chasing their first-ever major tournament appearance, a tough task as the second-lowest ranked team in Group H. Under new manager Apostolos Mantzios, appointed in January, Cyprus kicked off their qualifiers with a 2-0 win over San Marino. But they stumbled in their next game, losing 2-1 to Bosnia.

On Friday, Cyprus showed resilience in a 2-2 friendly draw against Bulgaria, with Nicolas Koutsakos and Konstantinos Laifis scoring to twice level the score. Despite this, their away form remains a concern, with no wins in their last four matches on the road, which could hinder their chances of defeating Romania for the first time since a 3-2 win in February 2000.