Nicolae Claudiu Stanciu

Nicolae Stanciu made his senior debut at 15 with Unirea Alba Iulia before a move to Vaslui. Steaua București turned him into a title-winner twice over, along with a Cupa României and two Cupa Ligii triumphs, and it was that form that took him to Anderlecht in a deal that made him, for a time, the most expensive signing in the history of Belgium's top flight.

Sparta Prague brought a Czech transfer record when he arrived in 2018, and a brief spell at Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia preceded his return to Prague, this time with Slavia. There he won back-to-back Czech First League titles and a Czech Cup, and picked up the league's Best Assist Provider, Foreign Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year awards in the 2019–20 season. A move east followed, with Wuhan Three Towns, where he added a Chinese Super League title and a Chinese FA Super Cup, before a spell at Damac in Saudi Arabia. He joined Genoa on a free transfer in the summer of 2025 and scored on his debut for the club in the Coppa Italia against LR Vicenza.

For Romania, Stanciu scored the winning goal on his senior debut against Lithuania and has gone on to earn 88 caps and 15 goals. He captained the side through the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, playing every match and scoring three goals, then delivered one of the tournament's standout moments at Euro 2024 itself: the opening goal in a 3–0 win over Ukraine, a performance that earned him the Player of the Match award and made him the first player to score at a European Championship while on the books of a Saudi Arabian club. In 2022 he was named Romanian Footballer of the Year.