Ianis Hagi (born 22 October 1998) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for La Liga club Alaves, on loan from Scottish Premiership club Rangers, and the Romania national team.
Hagi made his professional debut for Viitorul Constanta at age 16, after having trained at the academy of his father Gheorghe, the joint all-time leading goalscorer of Romania. He moved abroad for the first time in 2016 to Italian side Fiorentina, but only played two Serie A matches. Hagi returned to Viitorul one and a half years later and won the Cupa Romaniei, before leaving again in 2019 for Belgian team Genk. In January 2020, he joined Rangers on an initial loan which was later made permanent, and aided them to win the league title the following season.
Internationally, Hagi earned his first full cap for Romania in a 3–0 UEFA Nations League win over Lithuania in November 2018. The following year, he represented the under-21 side in the European Championship, scoring twice before they were eliminated in the semi-finals.
Hagi represented Romania at under-15, under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels. On 11 September 2018, he scored a direct corner kick in a 2–0 win over the Bosnia and Herzegovina under-21 team. Two months later, he made his senior debut for Romania in a 3–0 UEFA Nations League win over Lithuania, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for Claudiu Keseru.
Hagi was part of the team that qualified for the second time in their history to the European Under-21 Championship, starting in all three group matches of the 2019 final tournament in Italy. He netted one each against Croatia and England to help his side progress to the semi-finals as group winners, where they lost 4–2 to defending champions Germany.
On 25 March 2021, Hagi scored his first senior international goal after coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 home win over North Macedonia in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. In the Euro 2024 qualifiers, he aided with seven appearances and two goals, including the winner in a 2–1 success over Israel on 18 November 2023. Romania went on to finish Group I in first place after a 1–0 defeat of Switzerland three days later, in which Hagi came off the bench in the 64th minute.
Once considered to be a promising young talent, Hagi's playing style has drawn comparisons with that of his father's due to his dribbling skills, passing, two-footedness and playmaking ability. His preferred role is that of an attacking midfielder, and he is regarded as a quick, agile and versatile player.
Hagi is also capable of playing in several advanced roles, and has been used as a winger, a second striker or even a centre-forward on occasion. Due to his vision, technique and eye for goal, he is both capable of creating chances for his teammates and scoring goals himself. |
