Marius Dumitru Corbu (born 7 May 2002) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Ferencváros.
Corbu began his senior career with Csíkszereda in 2019, before transferring to Hungarian club Puskás Akadémia the following year. In 2024, he signed for Cypriot side APOEL as a free agent. Corbu returned to Hungary in January 2026 to join Ferencváros, where he won the Magyar Kupa later that season.
At international level, Corbu represented Romania under-21 at the 2023 and 2025 UEFA European Championships.
Club career
Early career / Csíkszereda
Born in Cădărești (Magyarcsügés), Bacău County, Corbu developed an interest in football from an early age, often playing against adults while also helping with farm work. At the age of eleven, he joined the Csíkszereda youth academy, where he was coached by Barna Bajkó and Zoltán Dusinszki.[1][2]
Corbu made his senior debut for Csíkszereda on 21 September 2019, aged 17, starting in a 1–0 away victory over Sportul Snagov in Liga II.[3][4]
Puskás Akadémia
In January 2020, Corbu joined Hungarian club Puskás Akadémia, initially playing for the reserve side.[4] He made his first-team debut on 27 August in a UEFA Europa League first qualifying round match, coming on as a substitute for Weslen Júnior in the 3–0 defeat to Hammarby IF.[5] Three days later, he made his Nemzeti Bajnokság I debut in a 3–2 home victory over Újpest, also as a substitute.[6]
During the 2020–21 season, Corbu spent part of the campaign on loan at Csákvár, making two league appearances. He scored his first Nemzeti Bajnokság I goal on 18 August 2021, in a 3–1 away victory over Zalaegerszeg.[7]
During his four seasons with Puskás Akadémia between 2020 and 2024, Corbu made 112 league appearances and scored 12 goals, helping the club finish as league runners-up once.[8]
APOEL
On 8 July 2024, Corbu joined APOEL on a four-year contract as a free agent.[9] He made his Cypriot First Division debut on 1 September, coming on as a half-time substitute and scoring in the 54th minute of a 1–3 home loss to Ethnikos Achna.[10]
On 25 September 2024, Corbu won his first senior trophy after APOEL defeated Pafos 1–0 in the Cypriot Super Cup, entering the match as a 66th-minute substitute.[11]
Ferencváros
On 26 January 2026, Corbu returned to Hungary, joining top flight club Ferencváros for a fee reported to be between €1.3 million and €1.5 million.[4][12][13] On 9 May, he won the 2025–26 Magyar Kupa after defeating Zalaegerszeg 1–0 in the final at the Puskás Aréna.[14]
Corbu scored his first goal in European competitions on 5 August 2026, netting in a 1–0 home victory over Polish side Górnik Zabrze in the first leg of the Europa League third qualifying round.[15] He scored again on 27 August, helping to a 4–0 second leg win against Turkish club Trabzonspor in the play-off round (5–0 on aggregate).[16]
Personal life
Corbu was born in a multiethnic area inhabited by Romanians and Csángós, a subgroup of the Hungarian minority. His ancestors belonged to the latter group, but underwent Romanianization like many residents of Cădărești.[2] In a 2021 interview, Corbu said that he had spoken only rudimentary Hungarian while growing up and described himself as a "proud Csángó", with distant Székely ancestry and partial Romanian ancestry on his mother's side.[1]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup[17] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Csíkszereda | 2019–20 | Liga II | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Puskás Akadémia | 2020–21 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1[18] | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |
| 2021–22 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 32 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3[19] | 0 | — | 37 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 30 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1[19] | 0 | — | 36 | 6 | ||
| 2023–24 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 2 | |||
| Total | 112 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 12 | ||
| Csákvár (loan) | 2020–21 | Nemzeti Bajnokság II | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | Nemzeti Bajnokság II | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| APOEL | 2024–25 | Cypriot First Division | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7[20] | 0 | 1[21] | 0 | 35 | 3 |
| 2025–26 | Cypriot First Division | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 4 | |||
| Total | 45 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 7 | ||
| Ferencváros | 2025–26 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | |
| 2026–27 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8[18] | 2 | — | 11 | 3 | ||
| Total | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 178 | 23 | 17 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 216 | 25 | ||
Honours
APOEL
- Cypriot Super Cup: 2024
Ferencváros
- Magyar Kupa: 2025–26[14]
References
- 1.[1.2]Németh, Krisztián (15 May 2021). "Szerelme Erdély, mindene a futball" [Transylvania is his love, football is his everything]. Fejér Megyei Hirlap (in Hungarian). p. 9.
- 2.[2.2]Miklós, Novák (24 February 2021). "Kötélhúzás a csángótehetségért. Corbu Marius utánpótláskorban román válogatott marad, de később még magyar is lehet" [Battle for the Csángó talent. Corbu Marius will remain a Romanian international at youth level, but could later also play for Hungary]. Magyar Nemzet (in Hungarian). p. 11.
- 3."57 de jucători U20 au evoluat în etapa 8 din Liga 2" [57 U20 players took the field in Matchday 8 of Liga 2] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 4.[4.2][4.3]"Kitekintő | A Ferencvároshoz igazolt Corbu Marius" [Looking abroad | Marius Corbu joins Ferencváros] (in Hungarian). FK Csíkszereda. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 5."Hammarby – Puskás Akadémia 3–0". UEFA.com. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 6.Orbán, Zsolt (31 August 2020). "Először kapott ki a Budafok, Corbu debütált az NB I-ben" [Budafok lost for the first time, Corbu made his NB I debut] (in Hungarian). Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- 7."Corbu-gól zárta le a „kétnapos" csatát" [Corbu's goal ended the two-day battle] (in Hungarian). Puskás Akadémia. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 8."Elköszönünk fiatal középpályásunktól – videó" [We say goodbye to our young midfielder – video] (in Hungarian). Puskás Akadémia. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 9."Έναρξη συνεργασίας με Marius Corbu" [Start of cooperation with Marius Corbu] (in Greek). APOEL FC. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 10."Kitekintő | Corbu Marius góllal mutatkozott be a ciprusi bajnokságban" [Looking abroad | Marius Corbu scored on his Cypriot league debut] (in Hungarian). FK Csíkszereda. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 11."Kitekintő | Szuperkupát nyert Corbu Marius" [Looking abroad | Marius Corbu won the Super Cup] (in Hungarian). FK Csíkszereda. 26 September 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 12."Marius Corbut szerződtette a Ferencváros – hivatalos" [Ferencváros have signed Marius Corbu – official]. Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 26 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- 13."Ferencvaros a plătit 1.500.000€ pentru transferul unui fotbalist român" [Ferencváros paid €1,500,000 for the transfer of a Romanian footballer] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- 14.[14.2]"Gundel-Takács tizenegyest védett, de Raemaekers a Fradi javára döntötte el a kupadöntőt" [Gundel-Takács saved a penalty, but Raemaekers decided the cup final in Fradi's favour]. Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). 9 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- 15."Ferencváros – Górnik Zabrze 1–0". UEFA.com. 5 August 2026. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 16."Ferencváros – Trabzonspor 4–0". UEFA.com. 27 August 2026. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- 17.Includes Magyar Kupa, Cypriot Cup
- 18.[18.2]Appearance in UEFA Europa League
- 19.[19.2]Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- 20.Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League and three appearances in UEFA Conference League
- 21.Appearance in Cypriot Super Cup