Romanian handball player (born 1988)
Cristina Neagu Neagu in 2017
Personal information Full name Cristina Georgiana Neagu Born (1988-08-26 ) 26 August 1988 (age 37) Bucharest , RomaniaNationality Romanian Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Playing position Left back Youth career Team
CSŞ 5 București Senior clubs Years Team 0000 –2006
HC Activ Ploiești 2006–2009
CS Rulmentul Brașov 2009–2013
CS Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea 2013–2017
ŽRK Budućnost 2017–2025
CSM București National team1 Years Team Apps (Gls) 2006–2023
Romania 221 (972) 1 National team caps and goals correct
Cristina Georgiana Neagu (Romanian pronunciation: [krisˈtina handballer .[ 1] [ 2]
Often considered the best player in the world and rated by many in the sport as the greatest of all time, Neagu is the only female handball player in history to win fourIHF World Player of the Year awards (in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018).[ 3] [ 4] EHF Player of the Year award in 2017 and 2018 (a record). She has been selected to the All-EHF Champions League All-Star Team seven times (2015–18 and 2020–22).
A prolific goalscorer, Neagu is theEuropean Championship 's all-time leader in goals scored (303).[ 5] 2015 World Championship top-scorer and was named MVP of the tournament.[ 6] EHF Champions League in the2014–15 ,2017–18 and2021–22 seasons.
Neagu was given the award ofCetățean de onoare ("Honorary Citizen ") of the city ofBucharest in 2017.[ 7]
Cristina Neagu is the daughter of Vasilica and Constantin Neagu. She was born inBucharest, Romania , and grew up inGhencea district, being the youngest of three siblings.[ 8] [ 9]
Professional career [ edit ] During the 2010–11 season, her right shoulder cartilage was damaged. On 10 October 2012, Neagu returned to play in theRomanian Women's Handball League , 605 days (approximately 1 year and 7 months) after suffering the injury and after she received long-term treatment in theUnited States .[ 10]
She got seriously injured again during a training session in January 2013. Neagu was out for six months after undergoing surgery on her left knee after rupturing hercruciate ligaments .[ 11]
Comeback and later career [ edit ] After nearly two-and-a-half years of injuries, Neagu again reached the final stage of the Champions League, this time in 2014 with Montenegrin sideBudućnost .
On 21 December 2014, she was awarded best left back of the2014 European Championship . She was also among the tournament top goalscorers, ranking second.
After an outstanding 2013–14 season, she got nominated again for theIHF World Player of the Year Award , but this time she lost toEduarda Amorim being named second best player in the world with 25.8% of the votes.[ 12]
Neagu won her first Champions League trophyin 2015 after an outstanding season, topping the goalscorers list alongsideAndrea Penezić and being voted the best left back of the competition.
She was named MVP player at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark, where she scored 63 goals – being the top goalscorer in the competition.[ 6]
Neagu reached the final stage of the Champions League three times (in2010 ,2014 and2015 ). She has been a member of the European Championship All-Star Team three times (2010, 2014 and 2016). She received a bronze medal at the2010 European Championship , being also the top scorer of the competition and having the most assists.
A bad injury sidelined Neagu once again in the final main round match against Hungary at the2018 European Championship when she was in a commanding position to finish as top scorer. She tore herACL and had to undergo surgery on her right knee.[ 13]
During Neagu's final professional match in Bucharest on 8 June 2025,Romanian president Nicușor Dan made an appearance, praising her career.[ 14]
Neagu is a huge football fan and a big supporter of local teamFCSB , and attends their matches at theArena Națională stadium.[ 15]
Romanian National League Winner : 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2023Silver Medalist : 2007, 2008, 2019, 2022Romanian Cup :Winner : 2011, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023Finalist : 2007, 2020, 2021Romanian Supercup :Winner : 2011, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023Finalist : 2007, 2018, 2020, 2021Montenegrin Championship Winner : 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017Montenegrin Cup Winner : 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
IHF EHF 2×EHF Player of the Year : 2017, 2018 European Championship All-Time Top Scorer (303 goals)[ 18] European Championship Top Scorer:2010 [ 19] European Championship Most Assists: 2010 4× European Championship All-Star Team Left Back:2010 ,2014 ,2016 ,2022 [ 20] European Youth Championship Most Valuable Player: 2005[ 21] European Junior Championship All-Star Team Left Back: 2007[ 22] Cup Winners' Cup Top Scorer: 20083×Champions League Top Scorer:2015 ,2018 ,2022 7× Champions League All-Star Team Left Back:2015 ,2016 ,2017 ,2018 ,2020 ,[ 23] 2021 ,[ 24] 2022 [ 25] EHF Excellence Awards Best left back of the season: 2022/23[ 26] National 6× Romanian Player of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018[ 27] Romanian Sportsperson of the Year: 2015[ 28] Brașov County Sportsperson of the Year: 2008[ 29] Top Scorer of the Liga Națională: 2022 All-Star Left Back of the Liga Națională: 2021 2× Most Valuable Player of the Liga Națională: 2020, 2021[ 30] 3×Liga Națională Best Romanian Player:2017 ,2018 , 2019[ 31] Cupa României Final Four Most Valuable Player: 2018[ 32] 3×Pro Sport Most Valuable Player of the Liga Națională: 2018,[ 33] [ 34] [ 35] 3× Pro Sport All-Star Team Left Back of the Liga Națională: 2018,[ 33] [ 34] [ 35] Other 3× Handball-Planet World Player of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2018[ 36] 6× Handball-Planet All-Star Team Left Back: 2014,[ 37] [ 38] [ 39] [ 40] [ 41] [ 42] TV 2 Norway World Player of the Year: 2018[ 43] TV 2 Norway All-Star Team Left Back: 2018[ 43] TV 2 Norway All-Star Team Left Back of theEuropean Championship :2018 [ 43] 2×World Cup Most Valuable Player: 2009,[ 44] 2010 [ 4] 2×Carpathian Trophy Most Valuable Player:2017 ,2018 2× Carpathian Trophy Top Scorer: 2006,[ 22] 2015 2×Bucharest Trophy All-Star Team Left Back:2014 ,2015 ^ EHF profile ^ "Cristina Neagu Fapte și Statistici" .Red Bull . Retrieved6 November 2018 .^ Giuclea, Andreea (20 September 2019)."Cristina Neagu: Un 8 de Neoprit, documentarul unei cariere unice în handbal" .Red Bull . Retrieved11 October 2019 . ^a b "World's first female handball player to win three Player of the Year awards: Cristina Neagu sets world record" .World Record Academy . Archived fromthe original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved17 March 2017 .^ Ulmeanu, Ioana (4 December 2018)."Interviu EXCLUSIV: 100% Cristina Neagu – golgheterul all-time al Campionatului European de handbal" .Elle . Retrieved13 January 2019 . ^a b "La Roumaine Cristina Neagu désignée MVP du Mondial féminin" .L'Équipe . Retrieved22 December 2015 .^ "Cristina Neagu becomes 'Honorary Citizen of Bucharest' . Handball Planet. 31 August 2017. Retrieved31 August 2017 .^ "Acasa la Cristina Neagu: "Mami, ce medalie imi aduci?" (in Romanian).Evenimentul Zilei . 16 December 2010.^ "Prima antrenoare a Cristinei Neagu îi face o caracterizare inedită" (in Romanian).Libertatea . 16 December 2010.^ Ursescu, Marian (11 October 2012)."Revenire după 605 zile " Cristina Neagu a jucat din nou pentru Oltchim" .Gazeta Sporturilor . Retrieved13 October 2012 . ^ "Cristina Neagu six months out!" .Handball Planet . 30 January 2013. Retrieved30 January 2013 .^ "Karabatic and Amorim – Grundfos World Handball Players of the Year" .IHF.info . 25 February 2015. Archived fromthe original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved26 February 2015 .^ Ursescu, Marian (4 November 2019)."Cristina Neagu, lungul drum al suferinței! Cum au arătat cele 326 de zile de calvar, de la operație până la revenire" .Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved10 December 2019 . ^ Mazilu, Cornelia (8 June 2025)."Nicușor Dan a executat o aruncare de la 7 metri în meciul de retragere al Cristinei Neagu" .Adevărul Archived from the original on 8 June 2025. Retrieved8 June 2025 . ^ Nicolae, Răzvan (15 February 2018)."Cristina Neagu îi susţine pe stelişti! "O iubire roş-albastră!" .Fanatik (in Romanian). Retrieved23 March 2018 . ^ "Neagu and Hansen named 2018 World Players of the Year" . International Handball Federation. 18 March 2019. Retrieved18 March 2019 .^ "Neagu, "World's best Rookie of the Year 2009" .Nine O'Clock the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved14 May 2010 .^ "Passing the top-scorer crown: Farkas to Neagu" .EHF EURO . fra2018.ehf-euro.com. 5 December 2018. Archived fromthe original on 22 May 2022.^ "2010 Women's European Championship" .history.eurohandball.com .European Handball Federation . Retrieved27 February 2025 .^ "MVP Reistad leads EHF EURO 2022 All-Star Team" . European Handball Federation. Retrieved20 November 2022 .^ "5 lucruri pe care nu le ştiai despre cea mai bună handbalistă a lumii, Cristina Neagu!" .Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 14 January 2011.^a b "Cristina Neagu" .Sports-Hub (in Romanian). Retrieved31 January 2019 .^ "Cei mai buni jucători ai anului 2018" .FRH (in Romanian). Retrieved17 January 2019 .^ "Fan favourite Oftedal leads Györ quartet in All-star Team" .European Handball Federation ^ "Györ quintet headline EHF Champions League All-star Team" .European Handball Federation ^ "Golden players make the team of the season" .EHF . Retrieved26 June 2023 .^ "Cristina Neagu, cea mai bună jucătoare de handbal din lume, pentru a patra oară!" .CSM București (in Romanian). Retrieved18 March 2018 .^ Constantinescu, Andrei."Simona Halep și Horia Tecău, învinși de Cristina Neagu și Andreea Chițu" .Doar Tenis (in Romanian). Archived fromthe original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved23 December 2015 . ^ "Cristina Neagu, sportivul anului în Braşov" .ProSport the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved11 December 2008 .^ Ursescu, Marian (2 March 2021)."Cristina şi Kristina, cele mai valoroase jucătoare din handbalul românesc! Vor fi adversare în optimile Ligii, 2021 Campionilor" .Gazeta Sporturilor ^ Ursescu, Marian."Premii pentru Crina Pintea și Mihai Popescu " Federația Română de Handbal a desemnat cei mai buni handbaliști ai anului" .Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved9 January 2020 . ^ "Primul trofeu al sezonului pentru CSM București. "Tigroaicele" au câștigat Cupa României" .Digi Sport . Retrieved1 April 2018 .^a b Huțu, Marius (21 May 2018)."Cristina Neagu, cea mai bună handbalistă din Liga Naţională în sezonul 2017–2018. Cum arată echipa ideală a campionatului, după voturile exprimate de antrenori" .ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved21 May 2018 . ^a b Huțu, Marius (25 May 2020)."Echipa sezonului în Liga Florilor și topul celor mai bune cinci handbaliste. Cristina Neagu este MVP-ul în 2020! ProSport a discutat cu toți antrenorii și a definitivat "superlativele" .ProSport (in Romanian). ^a b Huțu, Marius (4 June 2021)."Cristina Neagu este MVP-ul sezonului 2020-2021 în Liga Florilor. Cum arată topul celor mai bune jucătoare în ancheta ProSport" .ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved4 June 2021 . ^ "Cristina Neagu is NBSC World Handball Female Player 2018!" . Handball-Planet. 31 January 2019.^ "WOMEN'S HANDBALL "BEST 8" IN 2014" . Handball-Planet. 7 January 2015. Retrieved11 January 2017 .^ "MIZUNO FEMALE WORLD HANDBALL TEAM 2015 – BEST 8" . Handball-Planet. 7 January 2016. Retrieved11 January 2017 .^ "HANDBALL WORLD UNITED: Over 35.000 votes for the best handball girls in 2016" . Handball-Planet. 11 January 2017.^ "WORLD FEMALE HANDBALL BEST 8 IN 2017" . Handball-Planet. 8 February 2018.^ "WORLD FEMALE HANDBALL BEST 8 IN 2018" . Handball-Planet. 31 January 2019.^ . Handball-Planethttp://www.handball-planet.com/https://www.handball-planet.com/50831-2/ . Retrieved15 May 2021 . {{cite web }}:Missing or empty|title= (help ) ^a b c "Umulig ikke å sette henne øverst" (in Norwegian).TV 2 Norge . 5 December 2018. Retrieved6 December 2018 .^ "Handbalistele au luat Cupa Mondială pentru a doua oară consecutiv! " Hora de la Aarhus!" (in Romanian).Gazeta Sporturilor . 27 September 2010.
Awards
Romanian Handballer of the Year – Women
(in Romanian)
