Ştefania Iuliana Vătafu (Romanian: [ʃte.faˈni.a ju.liˈa.na vəˈta.fu]; born 12 July 1993) is a Romanian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian Women's Super League (BWSL) club Anderlecht. She played for the Romania national team until her international retirement in 2026, earning 132 caps and scoring 28 goals.[1]

Ştefania Vătafu
Vătafu with Anderlecht in 2021
Personal information
Full name Ştefania Iuliana Vătafu
Date of birth (1993-07-12) 12 July 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania
Height 1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Anderlecht
Number 10
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Clujana
2010–2018 Olimpia Cluj 119 (16)
2018 UD Granadilla TS 12 (0)
2018– Anderlecht 93 (15)
International career
2009–2026 Romania 132 (28)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Vătafu earned her first call-up for the Romanian national team at age 16.[2] She played in Romania's Liga I for a decade, first for Clujana and later for Olimpia Cluj, also playing regularly the UEFA Champions League in both, before moving to Spain's UD Granadilla in the 2017–18 winter transfer window.

International goals

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No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.3 March 2019Gold City, Antalya, Turkey India1–03–02019 Turkish Women's Cup
2.3–0
3.8 November 2019Stadionul Mogoșoaia, Mogoșoaia, Romania Lithuania1–03–0UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying
4.23 October 2020Sūduva Stadium, Marijampolė, Lithuania Lithuania1–04–0
5.3–0
6.2 September 2022LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania Lithuania3–07–12023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
7.16 February 2023GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus Hungary2–12–12023 Cyprus Women's Cup
8.16 July 2023Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest, Romania Bulgaria2–02–0Friendly
9.5 April 2024Armavir City Stadium, Armavir, Armenia Armenia2–05–0UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying
10.31 May 2024Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest, Romania Bulgaria1–01–0
11.4 June 2024Stadion Aleksandar Shalamanov, Sofia, Bulgaria Bulgaria1–03–0

References

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  1. "Ștefania Vătafu se va retrage de la naționala feminină în această vară; meciul cu Cipru, ultimul jucat pe teren propriu sub Tricolor" [Ștefania Vătafu will retire from the women's national team this summer; the match against Cyprus was her last one played on home soil under the Tricolour] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 7 April 2026.
  2. Arena Valceana
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