Hero Hagi looks to shape Romania's next generation

Soccer legend's academy is nurturing the country's future stars

A huge mural of Gheorghe Hagi graces his soccer academy, a reminder of Romania's spectacular performance at the 1994 World Cup, when he led the unfancied team to the quarterfinals.

Now 60, the "Maradona of the Carpathians", or "the King" — as he is fondly known in the eastern European nation — dreams of leading his country back to the pinnacle of world soccer.

Romania has not reached a World Cup finals since France 1998, the edition after the glorious run in the USA, and it started the journey to qualify for the 2026 finals with a loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina last month, before rebounding with a win against San Marino.