The **Romanian Cup Play-off** opened on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, with two knockout fixtures that set the tone for a dramatic week of football. Eight clubs from Liga 1, sixteen from Liga 2 and another eight from Liga 3 converged in a single‑leg elimination format, each match hosted by the lower‑ranked side from the previous season. The stakes were high: a place in the group stage, where the competition’s heavyweight clubs will later join, and a chance for lower‑division teams to rewrite their seasonal narratives. From the outset, the fixtures delivered surprise results, signalling that this edition of the cup could be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.
Romanian Cup Play-off: Early Rounds Deliver Unexpected Results
The opening day saw Petrolul Ploiești edge past ACSM Reșița after extra‑time, while Chindia Târgoviște survived a nerve‑wracking penalty shoot‑out against SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea. Wednesday’s slate added a further twelve victors, including the likes of Corvinul Hunedoara, FC Voluntari, and Corona Brașov, who all secured their group‑stage tickets within regular time. However, the real headlines came from the upsets: Farul, a former Romanian champion, fell 0‑1 to FC Bihor Oradea; Unirea Slobozia were dispatched 0‑1 by Minerul Lupeni; and SC Oțelul Galați suffered a humiliating 1‑5 defeat at the hands of Concordia Chiajna. These results underscore the cup’s “any‑team‑can‑win” ethos and highlight the depth of talent across the Romanian football pyramid.
Group Stage Draw and Calendar
The draw for the group stage is scheduled for Friday, August 21, at 15:00 in the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel’s Constanța hall. Former internationals Adrian Mutu, Florin Niță and Răzvan Ruseșcu will conduct the proceedings, adding a touch of glamour to the event. The format guarantees that at least four Liga 2 sides and three Liga 3 outfits will join the eight pre‑qualified Liga 1 clubs—Universitatea Craiova, Universitatea Cluj, CFR Cluj, Dinamo București, Rapid București, FC Argeș, UTA Arad and FCSB—in the group phase. The first round of group matches is set for September 1‑3, meaning clubs have barely a month between their play‑off triumphs and the next competitive hurdle.
The play‑off also marked the final exit of several regional cup hopefuls. Of the seven regional final winners, only Corona Brașov advanced beyond the third round; the others, including AFC Chieșd and Bradul Putna, bowed out in earlier stages. This attrition reflects the increasing quality gap between the national cup’s elite and the lower‑tier participants, yet the surprise eliminations of top‑flight teams demonstrate that the gap can be bridged on any given day.
Looking ahead, the group stage will re‑introduce the eight Liga 1 clubs that received byes, creating a blend of seasoned European campaigners and hungry underdogs. For clubs like Concordia Chiajna, who just recorded a 5‑1 thrashing of Oțelul Galați, the momentum could prove decisive. Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses such as Farul must regroup quickly if they hope to salvage their season’s objectives, as an early cup exit can erode confidence heading into the league campaign.
The early turbulence of the Romanian Cup Play‑off suggests that the competition will remain a fertile ground for drama and a potential catalyst for reshaping the domestic hierarchy before the league even begins.
The knockout round’s shockwaves may well echo throughout the rest of the season, influencing transfer strategies and managerial decisions across Romanian football.