Alexandru Cicâldău

Early career and Viitorul Constanța

Cicâldău was raised in Satu Nou, a village near Medgidia, Constanța County, and started practising football at the age of eight. After initially playing at Marcon Star Medgidia, he joined the Gheorghe Hagi Academy, which served as the youth setup of Viitorul Constanța. Cicâldău made his debut in the first division for Viitorul on 31 March 2016, aged 18, in a 1–1 away draw at ASA Târgu Mureș. He became a regular starter for the club in the 2017–18 season, amassing 38 appearances and one goal in all competitions.

Universitatea Craiova

On 6 July 2018, Cicâldău agreed to a four-year contract with Universitatea Craiova, being assigned the number 10 shirt. Press reported the fee at figures between €750,000 and €1 million plus interest. He made his first appearance for "the White-Blues" eight days later, playing the full match as CFR Cluj won 1–0 in the Supercupa României. Cicâldău netted his first goal in a 3–0 league win over Astra Giurgiu, on 26 October. On 31 March 2019, he scored a header in a 3–2 away loss to title contenders FCSB. He recorded his first goal in European competitions on 18 July that year, opening a 3–2 home victory over Sabail in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. After prolonged speculation regarding offers from foreign teams, in September he signed a contract extension which would have run until 2025. On 31 January 2020, in the opening game of the calendar year, Cicâldau…

Cicâldău received his first call up for the Romania senior team in March 2018. On the 24th that month, he made his debut as an 83rd-minute substitute in a friendly with Israel, which his team won 2–1. His first official game for the country came on 17 November, in a 3–0 UEFA Nations League defeat of Lithuania. The following year he represented the under-21 side at the 2019 UEFA European Championship, where they managed to progress past a group with Croatia, England and France, before being eliminated by defending champions Germany in the semi-finals. He earned four caps during the final tournament, all as a starter. After the conclusion of the Under-21 Championship, Cicâldău continued to be selected for the senior team. On 31 March 2021, on his twelfth cap, he scored his first goals in a 2–3 away loss to Armenia counting for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In 2023, Cicâldău appeared in seven games of the Euro 2024 qualifiers, including a start in the final 1–0 victory over Switzerland which secured Romania first place in Group I. On 7 June 2024, he was named in the squad for the final tournament. Cicâldău only played in the 0–3 loss to the Netherlands in the round of 16, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Marius Marin.

Cicâldău is capable of aiding his teammates in both defense and attack, being described as a box-to-box midfielder by former Romanian international Gheorghe Craioveanu. He has been praised for his technique and work ethic.

Club

As of match played 7 September 2026

International

As of match played 2 June 2026

Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cicâldău goal.