Editing Gheorghe Hagi (section)

===Early years and Euro 1984===
Gheorghe Hagi made his debut for [[Romania national football team|Romania]] on 10 August 1983 at the age of 18, under coach [[Mircea Lucescu]] who used him in all the minutes of a friendly which ended 0–0 against [[Norway national football team|Norway]], played on the [[Ullevaal Stadion|Ullevaal stadium]] from [[Oslo]].<ref name="Romania and Gala’s commander and king"/><ref name=GSP6>{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/nationala/gheorghe-hagi-romania-debut-707496.html| title=Astăzi se împlinesc 40 de ani de la debutul lui Gică Hagi la echipa națională a României: "Mă uit în spate cu mândrie"| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=ro |trans-title=Today marks 40 years since Gică Hagi's debut in the Romanian national team: "I look back with pride"| date=10 August 2023| access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref><ref name=EU>{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=7599|title=Gheorghe Hagi player profile|publisher=European Football|access-date=23 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=8027|title=Norway 0-0 Romania |publisher=European Football|access-date=23 November 2021}}</ref> After the game, the ''Sportul'' newspaper wrote:"Hagi is the main win of the match with Norway".<ref name=GSP6/>

He was selected by Lucescu to be part of the squad that went at [[UEFA Euro 1984|Euro 1984]] as the team needed a replacement for injured [[Ilie Balaci]].<ref name=EU/><ref name=GSP7>{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/nationala/euro-1984-povestea-primului-turneu-final-pentru-romania-hagi-debut-742508.html| title=Povestea României la primul Euro, din 1984: am lăsat Italia acasă! Fără niciun stelist, cu cel mai tânăr selecţioner pe bancă şi debutul lui Hagi la un turneu final la doar 19 ani| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=ro |trans-title=Romania's story at the first Euro, from 1984: we left Italy at home! Without any Steaua player, with the youngest coach on the bench and Hagi's debut at a final tournament at only 19 years old| date=6 June 2024| access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref><ref name=adevarul>{{cite web | url=https://adevarul.ro/sport/euro-1984-romania-intra-pe-marile-bulevarde-ale-1701873.html| title=EURO 1984: România intră "pe marile bulevarde ale fotbalului". 33 de ani de la golul lui Boloni cu Italia, surprizele lui Lucescu pentru EURO| publisher=Adevarul.ro| language=ro |trans-title=EURO 1984: Romania enters "the great boulevards of football". 33 years since Boloni's goal against Italy, Lucescu's surprises for the EURO| date=16 April 2016| access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref> In the first game which was a 1–1 with [[Spain national football team|Spain]] he was sent in the 76th minute in order to replace [[Romulus Gabor]], then in the 2–1 loss with [[West Germany national football team|West Germany]] he was a starter but replaced at half-time with [[Ion Adrian Zare|Ion Zare]] and in the 1–0 loss with [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]] he did not play as Romania did not manage to get past the group stage.<ref name=EU/><ref name=GSP7/><ref name=adevarul/> The 19-year-old Hagi's performance at the final tournament was criticized by Lucescu:"[[Aurel Țicleanu|Țicleanu]] and Hagi failed to make a real contribution after entering. Hagi, especially, isolated himself on the wing, he was not able to make up for the great absence of Balaci".<ref name=GSP7/>

He scored his first international goal against [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] in a 3–2 loss at the [[1986 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 3|1986 World Cup qualifiers]].<ref name="Gheorghe Hagi: The Maradona of the Carpathians"/><ref name=GSP6/><ref name=EU/> In the second leg with the Northern Irish he was made captain for the first time, the game ending with another loss which mathematically erased their chances to qualify at the [[1986 FIFA World Cup|final tournament]].<ref name="icon"/><ref name=GSP6/><ref name=EU/>