Louis Munteanu (; born 16 June 2002) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club D.C. United and the Romania national team.
Munteanu made his senior debut for Viitorul ConstanÃÂa in 2019, aged 17, before moving to Italian side Fiorentina the following year. He returned to his boyhood clubâÂÂwhich merged with Farul ConstanÃÂaâÂÂin 2022, and played a key role in securing the national title during his first loan spell back. In 2024, Munteanu signed for CFR Cluj, where he helped to a Cupa României and finished as Liga I top scorer in his first season at the team. He transferred abroad again to American side D.C. United in 2026, joining them as a Designated Player for an initial â¬6 million (US$7 million), which represented a club-record fee.
Internationally, Munteanu represented Romania under-21 in the 2023 and 2025 UEFA European Championships. In October 2023, he registered his full debut in a goalless draw with Belarus in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Munteanu was born in Vaslui, Romania. He moved to the Gheorghe Hagi Academy in ConstanÃÂa at age nine, finding the transition difficult and later recalling that he "cried every night" during his first year away from home. His mother eventually relocated to ConstanÃÂa to support him, helping him adjust and continue his development.
Munteanu made his professional debut for Viitorul ConstanÃÂa on 27 October 2019, in a 3âÂÂ2 away Liga I loss to Dinamo BucureÃÂti. Five days later, he scored his first goal in a 3âÂÂ0 home success over Chindia TârgoviÃÂte. He amassed three goals from 19 appearances during his first season as a senior, all in the league championship.
On 26 September 2020, Munteanu was transferred to Italian club Fiorentina for a rumoured fee of â¬2 million. During his initial two years with the Primavera side, he appeared in 40 matches and scored 13 goals.
On 15 August 2022, Munteanu rejoined the Romanian league by signing for Farul ConstanÃÂa on loan until the end of the season. Before moving to Farul, he was close to being loaned to Rapid BucureÃÂti, but the deal fell through because Fiorentina declined to include a permanent transfer clause. On the 28th that month, he scored his first two goals in a 3âÂÂ1 away victory over defending champions CFR Cluj.
On 6 May 2023, Munteanu netted his second double of the campaign in a 7âÂÂ2 home thrashing of Rapid BucureÃÂti. Fifteen days later, he scored the winner in a 3âÂÂ2 home success over league contenders FCSB, securing the national title for Farul with one match remaining. On 28 May, Munteanu ended his spell with ten goals in 29 matches by scoring twice in a 2âÂÂ1 away victory at CFR Cluj, also missing a penalty.
On 18 August 2023, Munteanu was sent on another year-long loan to Farul. He made his debut in European competitions six days later, coming on for Adrian Mazilu in a 2âÂÂ1 home win over HJK in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round. On 27 August, he scored both goals in a 2âÂÂ0 home win against Universitatea Craiova.
Munteanu surpassed his previous season's statistics by netting 12 goals in 34 Liga I appearances, and was voted Farul Player of the Year by the fans.
On 31 July 2024, amid interest from fellow league clubs FCSB and Rapid BucureÃÂti, CFR Cluj officially announced the transfer of Munteanu on a four-year contract. CFR Cluj owner NeluÃÂu Varga admitted that the transfer fee was "around" â¬2 million, contrasting some reports that indicated it might be as high as â¬2.8 million, and also stated that Fiorentina retained 50% participation rights in a co-ownership deal.
Munteanu registered his debut on 4 August 2024, starting in a 3âÂÂ2 home Liga I loss to rivals Universitatea Cluj. One week later, he scored his first two goals in a 3âÂÂ0 win over newly-promoted Unirea Slobozia. On 15 September, Munteanu netted another double in a 2âÂÂ2 home derby draw with FCSB.
On 27 January 2025, Louis Munteanu netted his first professional hat-trick in a 3âÂÂ1 home victory over his former club Farul ConstanÃÂa. His consistent goalscoring form continued on 9 March, when he recorded another hat-trick in a 6âÂÂ0 thrashing of Gloria BuzÃÂu in the final round of the regular season. On 20 April 2025, he scored a brace against FCSB in a 3âÂÂ2 away defeat in the championship play-offs.
On 14 May 2025, Munteanu scored in the Cupa României final, helping his team secure a 3âÂÂ2 victory over Hermannstadt at the Francisc von Neuman Stadium in Arad. His final goal of the season, netted in a 1âÂÂ1 draw with FCSB on 23 May, made him the Liga I top scorer with 23 goals and equalled Mihai Adam's long-standing club record from the 1973âÂÂ74 season. CFR Cluj concluded the campaign as runners-up, and Munteanu was named the Under-21 Player of the Season by LPF.
Munteanu scored his first European goal on 17 July 2025, ten minutes after coming on in a 3âÂÂ0 home victory over Paks in the Europa League first qualifying round. In late August, after returning to Romania following a harsh 2âÂÂ7 defeat to BK Häcken in the Conference League play-off round, he refused to train amid rumours of a transfer abroad and subsequently missed a Liga I match against OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi, which CFR Cluj lost 1âÂÂ4. By the turn of the year, Munteanu's form declined, as he only managed to score two goals from 14 league matches.
On 5 January 2026, Munteanu joined Major League Soccer team D.C. United as a Designated Player, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with an option for a further year. D.C. United officially announced that it paid a club-record transfer fee of US$7 million (â¬6 million), with reports also mentioning potential add-ons of up to US$3 million (â¬2.6 million) and a 35% sell-on clause.
On 15 June 2023, Munteanu was selected in the Romania national under-21 team squad for the 2023 UEFA European Championship. He started in all three group games, as his side failed to score any goals and finished in last place. On 12 October that year, Munteanu made his full debut for Romania by coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for Denis DrÃÂguÃÂ in a goalless draw with Belarus in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
On 11 October 2024, Munteanu scored a hat-trick in a 6âÂÂ2 away thrashing of Montenegro counting for the 2025 European Under-21 Championship qualifiers. Four days later, he provided two assists as Romania defeated Switzerland 3âÂÂ1 at home and qualified for its fourth consecutive European Under-21 Championship. On 14 June 2025, he scored a long-range goal in a 1âÂÂ2 loss to Spain at the final tournament, with Romania finishing last in its group.
Munteanu is primarily deployed as a centre-forward, but can also play as a winger due to his refined technical ability and link-up play. He maintains precision and executes moves even at high speed, making him versatile across attacking positions.
Farul ConstanÃÂa
CFR Cluj
Individual