Romania loses in Istanbul and misses qualification for the 2026 World Cup

Romania was defeated by Turkey with a score of 1-0 in Istanbul, in the qualifying playoff for the 2026 World Cup, thus missing the qualification for the final tournament. After a balanced first half without goals, the hosts opened the scoring in the 52nd minute through Ferdi Kadioglu, following a quick action. The Tricolors had several important chances to equalize, including a ball sent to the crossbar, but they failed to score. Despite the pressure in the second half, Romania did not score again, and Turkey won 1-0 and qualified further in the competition.