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Hungary national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Hungary women's national football team.

Hungary
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Magyarok (Magyars)
Nemzeti Tizenegy (National Eleven)
Trikolór (Tricolours)
AssociationMagyar Labdarúgó Szövetség (MLSZ)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachMarco Rossi
CaptainDominik Szoboszlai
Most capsBalázs Dzsudzsák (109)
Top scorerFerenc Puskás (84)
Home stadiumPuskás Aréna
FIFA codeHUN
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 31 Decrease 4 (18 July 2024)[1]
Highest18 (April–May 2016)
Lowest87 (July 1996)
First international
 Austria 5–0 Hungary 
(Vienna, Austria; 12 October 1902)
Biggest win
 Russia 0–12 Hungary 
(Moscow, Russia; 14 July 1912)
 Hungary 13–1 France 
(Budapest, Hungary; 12 June 1927)
 Hungary 12–0 Albania 
(Budapest, Hungary; 24 September 1950)
Biggest defeat
 Great Britain 7–0 Hungary 
(Stockholm, Sweden; 30 June 1912)
 Germany 7–0 Hungary 
(Cologne, Germany; 6 April 1941)
 Netherlands 8–1 Hungary 
(Amsterdam, Netherlands; 11 October 2013)
World Cup
Appearances9 (first in 1934)
Best resultRunners-up (1938, 1954)
European Championship
Appearances5 (first in 1964)
Best resultThird place (1964)
Medal record
Men's football
World Cup
Silver medal – second place 1938 France Team
Silver medal – second place 1954 Switzerland Team
European Championship
Bronze medal – third place 1964 Spain Team
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1952 Helsinki Team
Bronze medal – third place 1960 Rome Team
Gold medal – first place 1964 Tokyo Team
Gold medal – first place 1968 Mexico City Team
Silver medal – second place 1972 Munich Team
European International Cup
Bronze medal – third place 1931–32 Team
Bronze medal – third place 1933–35 Team
Gold medal – first place 1948–53 Team
Silver medal – second place 1955–60 Team
Balkan Cup
Gold medal – first place 1947 Team

The Hungary national football team (Hungarian: magyar labdarúgó-válogatott) represents Hungary in men's international football, and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation. The team has made nine appearances in the FIFA World Cup, and five in the UEFA European Championship. Hungary plays their home matches at the Puskás Aréna, in Budapest, which opened in November 2019.

Hungary has a respectable football history, having won three Olympic titles, finishing runners-up in the 1938 and 1954 World Cups, and third in the 1964 European Championship. Hungary revolutionized the sport in the 1950s, laying the tactical fundamentals of Total Football and dominating international football with the remarkable Golden Team which included legend Ferenc Puskás, one of the top goalscorers of the 20th century,[3][4][5] to whom FIFA dedicated the Puskás Award, given annually to the player who scored the "most beautiful" goal of the calendar year.[6] The side of that era has the all-time highest Football Elo Ranking in the world, with 2230 in 1954, and one of the longest undefeated runs in football history, remaining unbeaten in 31 games, spanning over four years including the much heralded Match of the Century.

The Hungarian team faced a severe drought starting from their elimination at the 1986 World Cup, failing to qualify for a major tournament for thirty years and reaching their lowest FIFA ranking (87) in 1996, as well as finishing sixth in their group of the Euro 2008 qualifiers. They then began a turnaround, qualifying for three consecutive European Championships in 2016, 2020 and 2024, as well as achieving promotion to the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A.

History

[edit]
Main article: History of the Hungary national football team

Although Austria and Hungary were constituent countries of the dual monarchy known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they formed separate football associations and teams around the start of the 20th century.

Early years

[edit]

1910s

[edit]
The Hungary national team at the 1912 Summer Olympics

The national side first appeared at the Summer Olympic Games in 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden. The team had to ask for donations in order to be able to go to the Games. Hungary lost 7–0 to England and thus were eliminated. After the Olympic Games Hungary played two matches against Russia in Moscow. The first match was a 9–0 win and the second 12–0, which is still a record for the national side. The top scorer of the two matches was Imre Schlosser who scored seven goals. The beginning of World War I had a deep impact on the thriving Hungarian football. Both the country and the clubs were suffering financial problems. During WWI Hungary played Austria 16 times. In 1919 England claimed the exclusion of the Central Powers (including Hungary) from FIFA. When FIFA refused England's plea, the British (English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish) associations decided to resign from FIFA.

1920s

[edit]
Poland-Hungary in 1924

Budapest was denied the opportunity to host the 1920 Summer Olympics, which were held in Belgium. The countries of the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria) were excluded from the Olympics. Hungary used a unique 2–3–5 formation.

During this period the Fogl brothers (József and Károly Fogl) played in the national team. Between 1921 and 1924, Béla Guttmann also played six times for the team. At the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Guttmann objected to the fact that there were more officials than players in the Hungary squad and that the hotel was more suitable for socialising than match preparation, and to demonstrate his disapproval he hung dead rats on the doors of the travelling officials.[7] At the 1924 Summer Olympics, in the first match Hungary beat Poland. They then lost to Egypt. As a consequence, both the head coach and the head of the Hungarian Football Federation resigned.

Between 1927 and 1930, Hungary participated in the Central European International Cup which is considered to be the first international tournament, with Austria, Czechoslovakia, Italy and Switzerland. In the final, Hungary lost to Italy 5–0. On 12 June 1927, Hungary beat France 13–1, which is still a record. József Takács scored six goals.

Golden Era

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1930s

[edit]
Hungary preparing for the 1938 FIFA World Cup

The first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930,[8] but Hungary were not invited and did not take part in the tournament; there were no qualification matches. Hungary first appeared in the 1934 World Cup in Italy.[9] Hungary's first World Cup match was against Egypt on 27 May 1934, a 4–2 win. The goals were scored by Pál Teleki, Géza Toldi (2) and Jenő Vincze.[10] In the quarter-finals, Hungary faced neighbouring arch-rivals Austria and lost 2–1, the only Hungarian goal coming from György Sárosi.[11]

Hungary entered the 1936 Olympics, where in the first round they were eliminated by Poland, 0–3.

The 1938 World Cup was held in France.[12] The first match was played against Dutch East Indies and Hungary won 6–0. Sárosi and Gyula Zsengellér each scored twice while Vilmos Kohut and Toldi scored one goal each.[13] In the quarter-finals, Hungary beat Switzerland 2–0 with goals by Sárosi and Zsengellér.[14] In the semi-final at the Parc des Princes, Paris, Hungary beat Sweden 5–1 with goals by Ferenc Sas and Sárosi and a hat-trick by Zsengellér.[15] In the final, Hungary faced Italy at the Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris and fell 4–2. The Hungarian goals were scored by Pál Titkos and Sárosi.[16]

1950s

[edit]

This Hungarian team was best known as one of the most formidable and influential sides in football history, which revolutionised the play of the game. Centred around the dynamic and potent quartet of strikers Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, attacking half-back József Bozsik and second striker Nándor Hidegkuti, the Aranycsapat ("Golden Team") of the "Magnificent Magyars" captivated the football world with an exciting brand of play with innovative tactical nuances. Excluding the 1954 World Cup Final, they achieved a remarkable record of 43 victories, 6 draws, and 0 defeats from 14 May 1950 until they lost 3–1 to Turkey on 19 February 1956.

Puskás with Hidegkuti in 1954 in Budapest

In the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Hungary beat Romania 2–1 with a goal each from Czibor and Kocsis in the preliminary round. In the first round Hungary beat Italy 3–0; in the quarter-finals Hungary beat Turkey 7–1; and in the semi-finals Hungary faced Sweden, the 1948 Olympic champions and won 6–0. In the final, Hungary beat Yugoslavia 2–0 with a goal each from Puskás and Czibor and thus won the Olympic title for the first time.

On 25 November 1953, England played Hungary at Wembley Stadium, London in a match later dubbed as the "match of the century". The English team were unbeaten for 90 years at home. In front of 105,000 spectators Nándor Hidegkuti scored in the first minute. At half-time the score was 4–2 to Hungary. In the second half the Hungarians scored twice more (Hidegkúti and József Bozsik). The final score was 6–3.

The Golden Team in 1954

On 23 May 1954, the Hungary national team beat England 7–1 (which remains their worst defeat to date) at the Puskás Ferenc Stadium.[17] At that time in Hungary there was a saying about the match: Az angolok egy hétre jöttek és hét-egyre mentek, which is a double play on words. The word "week" in Hungarian is called "hét", meaning the number seven: "the English came for one week and left with 7:1."

The 1954 World Cup was held in Switzerland.[18] The first match was played against South Korea and Hungary won 9–0 at the Hardturm, Zürich.[19] In the second group match, Hungary played against West Germany and won 8–3 at St. Jakob Stadium, Basel.[20] In the quarter-finals, Hungary beat Brazil 4–2 at the Wankdorf Stadium, Bern.[21] In the semi-finals, Hungary faced two-time World Cup winner Uruguay in Lausanne; Hungary won 4–2 after extra time.[22] In the final, Hungary played West Germany again. Although Hungary won the group match against the Germans, they lost 3–2 in the final in Bern at the Wankdorf Stadium.[23] The Golden Team, built around the legendary Ferenc Puskás, led 2–0, but ended up losing 2–3 in a game the West Germans subsequently christened "The Miracle of Bern". In 2010, journalist Erik Eggers speculates in a study that the German team may have used drugs to beat the Hungarian team, who were considered "invincible" at that time.[24][25][26]

Hungary saw the 1956 revolution break out just weeks before the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, which was also the scene of the Blood in the Water Match. The football team also qualified as the defending champions, but they were withdrawn from the tournament. The political situation in Hungary caused several athletes to defect during the Olympics, including key players in the team. This marked the effective end of the Golden Team, as they would never play for the national team again. Among others, Puskás moved to Real Madrid and later played for Spain, whereas Kocsis and Czibor left for Barcelona.[27][28]

Hungary qualified for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.[29] They played their first match against Wales at the Jarnvallen stadium in Sandviken and drew 1–1.[30] The second group match was played against hosts Sweden, where Hungary lost 2–1 at the Råsunda Stadium, Solna.[31] Although Hungary won their last group match against Mexico at the Jarnvallen stadium in Sandvinken,[32] they were eliminated from the World Cup after losing a play-off to Wales, who they had drawn level with on points. The Welsh had drawn all their group matches and then beat the once-mighty Hungarians in a play-off match to decide which nation should follow Sweden into the knock-out stage. Had goal difference been the decider, Hungary would have gone through, as the Hungarians had a goal tally of 6–3 compared to 2–2 for Wales. As it was, Wales instead met Brazil in the quarter-finals and were the recipient of young Pelé's first World Cup goal.

1960s

[edit]
Flórián Albert (1941–2011) and Kálmán Mészöly (1941–2022)

In 1960, Hungary entered the Olympics held in Rome and was drawn into Group D with France, Peru and India. Hungary finished top of the group after winning all matches by a combined goal difference of +12. In the semi-finals, they lost to Denmark 0–2, but beat Italy in the bronze medal match 2–1 thanks to a goals from Orosz and Dunai.

Hungary qualified for the 1962 World Cup, held in Chile.[33] On 31 May 1962, in the first group match, Hungary beat England 2–1 thanks to goals scored by Lajos Tichy and Flórián Albert at El Teniente stadium in Rancagua.[34] The second match on 3 June was even more convincing against Bulgaria; the match was won 6–1 in Rancagua.[35] The last group match was against Argentina and it was a goalless draw.[36] Hungary qualified for the quarter-finals by gaining five points and winning the group. In the quarter-finals, however, Hungary was eliminated by Czechoslovakia by 1–0 at El Teniente.[37]

In 1964, Hungary again qualified for the 1964 Olympics held in Tokyo and was drawn into Group B with defending champions Yugoslavia, Morocco and North Korea, the latter withdrawing. In their first match against Morocco, Hungary won 6–0 with all six goals scored by Ferenc Bene. In their second match, Hungary won narrowly (6–5) against Yugoslavia and advanced into the next round along with runners-up Yugoslavia. In the quarter-finals, Hungary beat Romania 2–0 with goals from Csernai. In the semi-finals, they beat United Arab Republic (Egypt) 6–0 with four goals from Bene and two from Komora. In the final, Hungary beat Czechoslovakia 2–1 thanks from an own goal by Weiss and a goal by Bene, winning their second gold medal.

Hungary qualified for the 1964 European Nations' Cup which was held in Spain. They played against Spain in the semi-finals, losing 2–1 after extra time. The only Hungarian goal was scored by Ferenc Bene. In the third place play-off Hungary beat Denmark 3–1 after extra time.[38]

Hungary also managed to qualify for the 1966 World Cup which was held in England.[39] On 13 July, Hungary lost their first group match against Eusébio's Portugal (3–1) at Old Trafford in Manchester.[40] Two days later, in the second group match Hungary beat Brazil at Goodison Park, Liverpool.[41] In the last group match, on 20 July, Hungary beat Bulgaria 3–1.[42] Hungary finished second in the group and qualified for the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by the Soviet Union 2–1 at Roker Park in Sunderland.[43]

In 1968 Olympics, Hungary qualified as defending champions to defend their title and was drawn into Group C with Israel, Ghana and El Salvador. Hungary finished top and advanced into the next round with Israel. In the quarter-finals, Hungary beat Guatemala narrowly, 1–0. In the semi-finals, they beat Japan 5–0. In the final, they beat Bulgaria 4–1 and won their third title, being the most successful team at the Olympics in football (Great Britain also won three titles but their first title is in 1904, and football only became an official event in 1908). However, Hungary failed to qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup, following a heavy 4–1 defeat to Czechoslovakia during a qualification play-off, which many see as the beginning of a period of long-standing decline.

Flórián Albert was named European Footballer of the Year in 1967. He scored 255 goals in 351 matches from 1958 to 1974.

Slow regression

[edit]

1970s

[edit]
Dunai and Ghelichkhani at the 1972 Summer Olympics

Hungary came back again as long-time defending champions in the 1972 Olympics in Munich and was drawn into Group C with Denmark, Iran and Brazil. They finished top and advanced into the next round with Denmark. In their second group round, they were drawn into Group 1 with East Germany, West Germany and Mexico. They again finished top undefeated and advanced into the finals with East Germany. In the finals, they faced Poland and lost 1–2.

Hungary qualified for the finals of the UEFA Euro 1972 which was held in Belgium. In the semi-finals, Hungary faced the Soviet Union and lost 1–0. In the third place play-off, Hungary lost to Belgium 2–1.[44] The Hungarians would not appear at the European Championship again until Euro 2016.[45]

Hungary participated in the 1978 World Cup which was held in Argentina. Facing the hosts, Argentina won the match 2–1. Hungary played their second group match against Italy and the Azzurri emerged victorious, 3–1. Hungary's third match was played against Michel Platini's France losing 3–1.[46]

Zombori and Martos against Ardiles and Kempes at the 1978 FIFA World Cup

1980s

[edit]

During the 1980s, Hungary qualified for the World Cup twice. The first group match of the 1982 tournament in Spain[47] was played against El Salvador, where Hungary won 10–1 at Estadio Nuevo, Elche.[48] After the massive win, the Magyars lost to 4–1 to Diego Maradona's Argentina in the second match of the group stages. Maradona scored twice, while the only Hungarian goal was scored by Pölöskei at the Estadio José Rico Pérez in Alicante.[49] After Hungary drew in the last match against Belgium,[50] they were eliminated from the World Cup.

Hungary's last World Cup appearance to date was the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.[51] In the first match of the group Hungary lost 6–0 to the Soviet Union.[52] Although Hungary won their second match against Canada 2–0,[53] they lost to Michel Platini's France 3–0 in the last group match.[54]

Era of decline

[edit]

1990s

[edit]

During the 1990s, Hungary were not able to qualify for any international tournaments except for the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta. In 1996, the team reached its lowest FIFA World Ranking at 87th. The fall of the Hungarian communist regime caused financial problems to many Hungarian clubs. Formerly successful clubs like Ferencváros and Újpest faced financial crisis and bankruptcy. This had a profound effect on the Hungary national team as well, as earlier, the biggest clubs from Budapest (Ferencváros, Újpest, Honvéd and MTK) produced players for the national side. Another important reason for the decline can be attributed to the Bosman ruling; since the Hungarian clubs lost the financial aid from the state in the early 1990s, they were not able to compete with richer Western European clubs.

Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás was appointed as the head coach of the national side in 1993. He led the team for only four matches, however, as the former Honvéd and Real Madrid star failed to make an impact. The only success in the 1990s was the qualification of Hungary to the 1996 Summer Olympics. Antal Dunai's team played its first group match against Nigeria and lost to 1–0 in Orlando.[55] In the second group match, Hungary played Brazil and lost 3–1.[56] The last group match was played against Japan, a 3–2 loss.[57] Hungary were eliminated in the 1998 World Cup qualifying play-offs by Yugoslavia with a 12–1 aggregate score.[58]

Hungary in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification against Sweden at Ferenc Puskás Stadium on 5 September 2009

2000s

[edit]

Hungary were unable to qualify for any major tournament, and even finished sixth in their Euro 2008 qualification group. A loss to Malta resulted in Péter Bozsik's resignation. Several days later, Péter Várhidi was appointed. He eventually led Hungary to a 3–1 win against 2006 World Cup champions Italy at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium in a friendly.

Resurgence

[edit]

2010s

[edit]
Hungary in a friendly tie against Poland on 15 November 2011 at the Stadion Miejski, Poznań, Poland. The line-up included Dzsudzsák, Juhász, Varga, Priskin, Koman, Laczkó, Tőzsér, Vanczák, Sándor, Bogdán and Gera

The Hungary national under-20 team head coach Sándor Egervári was appointed as head coach for the senior side ahead of Euro 2012 qualifying in which Hungary were drawn against Finland, Moldova, the Netherlands, San Marino and Sweden.[59] Hungary won six, drew one and lost three games as they finished the group in third place with 19 points. During the qualification process, in September 2011, Hungary reached the 27th place in the FIFA World Ranking, their highest position to date.[60] At the end of the year, the national team played Liechtenstein as a commemoration of the recently deceased Flórián Albert,[61] the only Hungarian football player to win the Ballon d'Or.

Hungary were drawn in Group D in their 2014 World Cup qualifying, along with the Netherlands, Turkey, Romania, Estonia and Andorra. They amassed 14 points entering the penultimate round of games, but suffered a joint national record defeat 8–1 to the Netherlands, which resulted in the resignation of head coach Sándor Egervári.[62][63][64] For their final group game, a 2–0 win against Andorra, Hungary were led by caretaker manager József Csábi.[65][66] They finished in third place in the group, on 17 points, missing out on qualification.

Attila Pintér was appointed as head coach of the national team in December 2013.[67] Some[who?] had seen this decision as controversial, given Pintér's low popularity with fans and players alike.[68] The team played their first game at the newly constructed Groupama Arena on 7 September 2014, a 2–1 defeat to Northern Ireland in Euro 2016 qualifying.[69] Pintér was subsequently dismissed, with Pál Dárdai appointed as a temporary replacement for three matches.[70][71] He turned down an offer to manage the team on a permanent basis,[72] but was kept on.[73]

Stieber against Guðmundsson, Bjarnason and Sigurðsson of Iceland, during Hungary's second group match of UEFA Euro 2016

On 15 November 2015, a Storck-led Hungary qualified for its first European Championship (UEFA Euro 2016) in 44 years and its major tournament in 30 years.[74] Hungary beat Norway in the first leg of the qualifying playoffs 1–0; the only goal was scored by László Kleinheisler.[75] On the return match, Hungary beat Norway 2–1 and qualified for the Euro 2016 finals.[76] After beating Austria 2–0 and drawing with Iceland, Hungary played an exciting 3–3 draw against eventual Euro winners Portugal. Hereupon, Hungary managed to qualify for the round of 16 with a game to spare, marking their best Euro or World Cup performance in over 40 years.

Hungary failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia after finishing outside of the qualification places. Along the way, they drew against the Faroe Islands and were humiliated after being defeated by Andorra 1–0. After failing to qualify, manager Bernd Storck resigned.[77] On 10 November 2017, Hungary was embarrassed again when they were defeated by Luxembourg 2–1 in a friendly.[78] On 30 October 2017, Georges Leekens was appointed as a new head coach. Hungary lost both matches in March 2018, the first defeat was another embarrassing one against minnows Kazakhstan (2–3).

On 19 June 2018, after three losses and one draw under his reign, Leekens was let go and Marco Rossi was appointed in his place.[79]

2018–19 UEFA Nations League C saw Hungary drawn with Finland, Greece and Estonia. Hungary had a nearly successful performance, but losses to Finland and Greece shattered their hope to finish in the top of the group. However, UEFA revised the formula aftermath, meaning Hungary was officially promoted to 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B, having finished second before.

The UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying drew a mixed result for the Hungarians. Grouped in group E, they faced Croatia, Wales, Slovakia and Azerbaijan; the former occupied the silver medal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup while the latter was one of 12 host countries in the tournament. Hungary performed successfully against Croatia and Wales at home, obtaining needed victories, as well as successive wins over Azerbaijan. However, two straight defeats to Slovakia and away losses to Croatia and Wales, with the final loss happened when Hungary had a chance to qualify directly, sent Hungary into a disappointing fourth-place finish at the expense of the Welsh who qualified directly instead.[80] However, Hungary was able to obtain a play-off spot, thanked for finishing second in their group at the Nations League, behind Finland, and was scheduled against Bulgaria.

2020s

[edit]
Szalai against Pogba of France, during Hungary's second group match of UEFA Euro 2020

While Hungary could only gain a play-off spot in hope to reach the UEFA Euro 2020, Hungary's strong result in previous Nations League gathered more optimism. Hungary began their quest in 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B sharing a group with Russia, Turkey and Serbia. Hungary impressed in their 1–0 victory against host Turkey, Dominik Szoboszlai scoring the game's only goal with a 30-meter free kick.[81][82] However, Hungary faced a setback when Russia, who Hungary had failed to win against since 1978, beat them at home 3–2.[83] A series of good results followed later, with two draws against Russia and Serbia, an important away win over the Serbs in Belgrade, and more importantly, a much needed 2–0 win over Turkey at home. This meant that Hungary was able to gain promotion at the expense of Russia to the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A.

In October 2020, Hungary participated in the play-offs to qualify for UEFA Euro 2020, where they faced Bulgaria in their first game of the play-off series. After making an away trip to Sofia, Hungary shone with a 3–1 win to reach the final of the play-off to face Iceland a month later, behind closed doors.[84] The team qualified for the tournament winning 2–1, with last-minute strikes from Loïc Nego and Dominik Szoboszlai to take Hungary into the competition despite an earlier mistake by Péter Gulácsi.[85]

Hungary national team in 2022 against Germany in Nations League

With Euro 2020 being postponed to 2021 because of COVID-19, Hungary was drawn in the "group of death" of the tournament. Group F featured Portugal, the defending European champions, France, and Germany.[86] The Hungarians fought against the odds and put on a heroic performance; despite losing 3–0 to Portugal,[87] the Hungarians recorded two points against France and Germany.[88]

2022 again brought the "group of death" for Hungary, as during the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League the team had to face off three former world champions in group A3, Italy, Germany, and England respectively. While prior the matches the team was widely considered to be a key contestant for relegation,[89] the Red-White-Greens quickly proved their worth when they beat Euro 2020 runner-up England 1–0 with a Dominik Szoboszlai penalty an hour into the match.[90] After the victory, expectations were cooled with a 2–1 defeat against Italy in Cesena,[91] nevertheless, an early Zsolt Nagy goal that could only be equalized by Jonas Hofmann resulted in a 1–1 draw against Germany,[92] placing the team second in the group behind Italy. On 14 June, Hungary visited England in Wolverhampton, achieving a stunning 0–4 victory against Gareth Southgate's squad, taking the group's lead after Italy's defeat to Germany.[93][94] For the last two matchdays, Hungary's only chance for relegation were defeats against Germany and Italy, with England winning both of their games. The team was taking no chances though, as Ádám Szalai, the long-time forward who announced his retirement a day before the match, scored a heeler to win the game against Germany 1–0 in Leipzig.[95] On 26 September, Hungary only needed a draw to qualify for the UEFA Nations League Finals, however they lost to Italy 2–0 in the Puskás Aréna.[96]

Team image

[edit]

Rivalry

[edit]
Main articles: Hungary–Romania football rivalry and Austria–Hungary football rivalry

Hungary has a long-standing rivalry with its neighbour Romania. The rivalry dates back to the Treaty of Trianon, where Hungary lost Transylvania to Romania, after World War I. They throw flares and matches between the two sides usually end in a fight between Hungarian and Romanian supporters; however, recently also before the matches conflicts have emerged outside the stadium. This was seen as they shared the same group in qualification for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000, 2002 World Cup, 2014 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016.

The match-up between Austria and Hungary is the second most-played international in football (only Argentina–Uruguay met each other in more matches), although the two teams have only met each other three times since 2000.

Supporters

[edit]
Hungarian supporters in Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton

The Carpathian Brigade is an official supporters' group for the Hungary national football team. The first organized debut of this group was at a Hungary vs. Malta 2010 World Cup qualification match on 1 April 2009 at Ferenc Puskás Stadium.[97][98]

Heavy support for the Hungary national team also comes from Transylvania, Slovakia, Vojvodina, Zakarpattia and Western Europe.[99]

Kits and crest

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hungary national football team kits.

Hungary's traditional home colours are cherry red shirts, white shorts and green socks. The combination of the colours represent the Hungarian flag. However, the team sometimes wears all white kit even at home. The coat of arms are worn on the left side of the shirt, where the human heart can be found. When the Hungarian players listen to the national anthem of Hungary, "Himnusz", they usually put their arms on to their chest. The current coat of arms could have always been found on the shirt of the national team in contrast with many other national teams which wear the logo of the football federation. Adidas is currently the designer of the Hungary kits.

Kit suppliers

[edit]
Kit supplier Period
Hungary In-House 1902–1976
United Kingdom Umbro 1966
West Germany Adidas 1976–1989
United Kingdom Umbro 1990–1994
Germany Adidas 1995–present

Home stadium

[edit]
Main articles: Puskás Aréna, Groupama Arena, and Nagyerdei Stadion
Photograph from air of a modern football stadium
Exterior of the Puskás Aréna
Photograph of a modern football stadium's interior; the stands are full of spectators
Interior of the Puskás Aréna

The home stadium of the Hungary national side is the Puskás Aréna. Formerly, it was the Ferenc Puskás Stadium (also called the Népstadion). The stadium was built between 1948 and 1953 using a large number of volunteers, including soldiers. On 23 May 1954, England lost to 7–1 against Hungary. The capacity of the stadium at the end was 35,100 (approved by UEFA) though its original capacity exceeded 100,000. The stadium also hosted one of the Derbies of Budapest, including Ferencváros, Újpest, MTK, Honvéd or Vasas. The national team's final match played at the stadium was a 3–0 win for Hungary against Kazakhstan on 7 June 2014.

On 19 September 2014, UEFA selected Budapest to host three group stage games and one round of 16 game at Euro 2020.[100][101]

On 15 November 2019, the Puskás Aréna opened with a match against Uruguay. The idea to invite the Uruguay national football team came from Károly Jankovics, who is the leader of the Hungarian community in Montevideo.[102]

Ferencváros' Groupama Arena was the temporary home of the national team between 2014 and 2019 during qualification for Euro 2016, the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.[103]

Results and fixtures

[edit]
Main article: Hungary national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

[edit]
7 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Serbia  1–2  Hungary Belgrade, Serbia
20:45 A. Szalai 10' (a.g.) Report
Stadium: Stadion Rajko Mitić
Attendance: 6,294
Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera (Spain)
10 September 2023 Friendly Hungary  1–1  Czech Republic Budapest, Hungary
18:00
Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 54,444
Referee: Igor Pajać (Croatia)
14 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Hungary  2–1  Serbia Budapest, Hungary
20:45
Report
Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 58,215
Referee: François Letexier (France)
17 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Lithuania  2–2  Hungary Kaunas, Lithuania
21:45 (UTC+3)
Report
Stadium: Darius and Girėnas Stadium
Attendance: 5,349
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (Albania)
16 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Bulgaria  2–2  Hungary Sofia, Bulgaria
19:00 (UTC+2)
Report
Stadium: Vasil Levski National Stadium
Attendance: 230
Referee: Daniel Stefanski (Poland)
19 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Hungary  3–1  Montenegro Budapest, Hungary
15:00
Report
Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 59,600
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)

2024

[edit]
22 March Friendly Hungary  1–0  Turkey Budapest, Hungary
20:45
Report Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 58,000
Referee: Bartosz Frankowski (Poland)
26 March Friendly Hungary  2–0  Kosovo Budapest, Hungary
19:00
Report Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 56,000
Referee: Ovidiu Hategan (Romania)
4 June Friendly Republic of Ireland  2–1  Hungary Dublin, Ireland
20:45
Report
Stadium: Aviva Stadium
Attendance: 29,424
Referee: Luís Godinho (Portugal)
8 June Friendly Hungary  3–0  Israel Debrecen, Hungary
18:00
Report Stadium: Nagyerdei Stadion
Attendance: 19,900
Referee: Cláudio Pereira (Portugal)
15 June UEFA Euro 2024 Group A Hungary  1–3   Switzerland Cologne, Germany
15:00
Report
Stadium: RheinEnergieStadion
Attendance: 41,676
Referee: Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)
19 June UEFA Euro 2024 Group A Germany  2–0  Hungary Stuttgart, Germany
18:00
Report Stadium: MHPArena
Attendance: 54,000
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
23 June UEFA Euro 2024 Group A Scotland  0–1  Hungary Stuttgart, Germany
21:00 Report
Stadium: MHPArena
Attendance: 54,000
Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina)
7 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Germany  v  Hungary Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: Europa-Park Stadion
10 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Hungary  v  Bosnia and Herzegovina Budapest, Hungary
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: Puskás Aréna
11 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Hungary  v  Netherlands Budapest, Hungary
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: Puskás Aréna
14 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Bosnia and Herzegovina  v  Hungary Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: Bilino Polje
16 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Netherlands  v  Hungary Amsterdam, Netherlands
20:45 CEST (UTC+01:00) Report Stadium: Johan Cruyff Arena
19 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Hungary  v  Germany Budapest, Hungary
20:45 CEST (UTC+01:00) Report Stadium: Puskás Aréna

Coaching staff

[edit]
Main article: List of Hungary national football team managers
Position Name
Head Coach Italy Marco Rossi
Assistant Coaches Italy Cosimo Inguscio
Hungary Zsolt Laczkó
Goalkeeping Coach Hungary István Kövesfalvi
Technical Manager Hungary Attila Tömő
Fitness Coaches Hungary Gábor Schuth
Hungary Szabolcs Szusza
Doctor Hungary Ádám Szilas
Chief Press Officer Hungary Gergő Szabó
Masseur Hungary Tamás Halmai
Kit Manager Hungary László Hegyesi

Players

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]

The following 26 players were selected for UEFA Euro 2024.[104]

Caps and goals updated as of 23 June 2024, after the match against  Scotland.[105]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Péter Gulácsi (1990-05-06) 6 May 1990 (age 34) 57 0 Germany RB Leipzig
12 1GK Dénes Dibusz (1990-11-16) 16 November 1990 (age 33) 36 0 Hungary Ferencváros
22 1GK Péter Szappanos (1990-11-14) 14 November 1990 (age 33) 1 0 Hungary Paks
2 2DF Ádám Lang (1993-01-17) 17 January 1993 (age 31) 70 2 Cyprus Omonia
3 2DF Botond Balogh (2002-06-06) 6 June 2002 (age 22) 4 0 Italy Parma
4 2DF Attila Szalai (1998-01-20) 20 January 1998 (age 26) 46 1 Germany SC Freiburg
5 2DF Attila Fiola (1990-02-17) 17 February 1990 (age 34) 59 2 Hungary Fehérvár
6 2DF Willi Orbán (1992-11-03) 3 November 1992 (age 31) 48 6 Germany RB Leipzig
21 2DF Endre Botka (1994-08-25) 25 August 1994 (age 29) 27 1 Hungary Ferencváros
24 2DF Márton Dárdai (2002-02-12) 12 February 2002 (age 22) 6 0 Germany Hertha BSC
7 3MF Loïc Négo (1991-01-15) 15 January 1991 (age 33) 36 2 France Le Havre
8 3MF Ádám Nagy (1995-06-17) 17 June 1995 (age 29) 84 2 Italy Spezia
10 3MF Dominik Szoboszlai (captain) (2000-10-25) 25 October 2000 (age 23) 45 12 England Liverpool
11 3MF Milos Kerkez (2003-11-07) 7 November 2003 (age 20) 19 0 England Bournemouth
13 3MF András Schäfer (1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 (age 25) 28 3 Germany Union Berlin
14 3MF Bendegúz Bolla (1999-11-22) 22 November 1999 (age 24) 20 0 Austria Rapid Wien
15 3MF László Kleinheisler (1994-04-08) 8 April 1994 (age 30) 53 3 Greece Panathinaikos
16 3MF Dániel Gazdag (1996-03-02) 2 March 1996 (age 28) 26 4 United States Philadelphia Union
17 3MF Callum Styles (2000-03-28) 28 March 2000 (age 24) 23 0 England Barnsley
18 3MF Zsolt Nagy (1993-05-25) 25 May 1993 (age 31) 22 3 Hungary Puskás Akadémia
26 3MF Mihály Kata (2002-04-13) 13 April 2002 (age 22) 3 0 Hungary MTK Budapest
9 4FW Martin Ádám (1994-11-06) 6 November 1994 (age 29) 25 3 Greece Asteras Tripolis
19 4FW Barnabás Varga (1994-10-25) 25 October 1994 (age 29) 14 7 Hungary Ferencváros
20 4FW Roland Sallai (1997-05-22) 22 May 1997 (age 27) 52 13 Germany SC Freiburg
23 4FW Kevin Csoboth (2000-06-20) 20 June 2000 (age 24) 10 1 Hungary Újpest
25 4FW Krisztofer Horváth (2002-01-08) 8 January 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Italy Torino

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players have also been selected by Hungary in the past twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Balázs Tóth (1997-09-04) 4 September 1997 (age 26) 0 0 Hungary Fehérvár v.  Kosovo, 26 March 2024
GK Patrik Demjén (1998-03-22) 22 March 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Hungary MTK Budapest v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2023
DF Attila Mocsi (2000-05-29) 29 May 2000 (age 24) 1 0 Turkey Çaykur Rizespor v.  Kosovo, 26 March 2024
DF Gábor Szalai (2000-06-09) 9 June 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Switzerland Lausanne-Sport v.  Kosovo, 26 March 2024
MF Zsolt KalmárINJ (1995-06-09) 9 June 1995 (age 29) 36 3 Hungary Fehérvár v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2023
MF Soma Szuhodovszki (1999-12-30) 30 December 1999 (age 24) 1 0 Hungary Debrecen v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2023
FW Zalán Vancsa (2004-10-27) 27 October 2004 (age 19) 2 0 Belgium Lommel v.  Kosovo, 26 March 2024
FW András Németh (2002-11-09) 9 November 2002 (age 21) 4 1 Germany Hamburger SV v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2023

INJ Injured player.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Retired from international football.
SUS Suspended for the next match.
WD Withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.
QUA Placed in quarantine after a contact with COVID-19.

Player records

[edit]
Main article: List of Hungary international footballers
As of 23 June 2024[106]

Players in bold are still active with Hungary.

Most appearances

[edit]
Balázs Dzsudzsák is Hungary's most capped player with 109 appearances.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Balázs Dzsudzsák 109 21 2007–2022
2 Gábor Király 108 0 1998–2016
3 József Bozsik 101 11 1947–1962
4 Zoltán Gera 97 26 2002–2017
5 Roland Juhász 95 6 2004–2016
6 László Fazekas 92 20 1968–1983
7 Gyula Grosics 86 0 1947–1962
Ádám Szalai 86 26 2009–2022
9 Ferenc Puskás 85 84 1945–1956
10 Ádám Nagy 84 2 2015–present

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Ferenc Puskás is Hungary's all-time top scorer with 84 goals.
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Ferenc Puskás (list) 84 85 0.99 1945–1956
2 Sándor Kocsis (list) 75 68 1.1 1948–1956
3 Imre Schlosser (list) 59 68 0.87 1906–1927
4 Lajos Tichy 51 72 0.71 1955–1971
5 György Sárosi 42 62 0.68 1931–1943
6 Nándor Hidegkuti 39 69 0.57 1945–1958
7 Ferenc Bene 36 76 0.47 1962–1979
8 Gyula Zsengellér 32 39 0.82 1936–1947
Tibor Nyilasi 32 70 0.46 1975–1985
10 Flórián Albert 31 74 0.42 1959–1974

Captains

[edit]
Dominik Szoboszlai is the current captain.
Name Captained Major tournaments as captain
Tibor Nyilasi 1981–1985 1982 FIFA World Cup
Antal Nagy 1985–1986 1986 FIFA World Cup
Imre Garaba 1986–1991
Lajos Détári 1991–1994
István Kozma 1995
János Bánfi 1996–1997
Béla Illés 1998–2001
Gábor Király 2002–2003
Zoltán Gera 2004–2005
Pál Dárdai 2006
Zoltán Gera 2007–2013
Balázs Dzsudzsák 2014–2019 UEFA Euro 2016
Ádám Szalai 2020–2022 UEFA Euro 2020
Dominik Szoboszlai 2022– UEFA Euro 2024

Competitive record

[edit]

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: Hungary at the FIFA World Cup

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place  

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Position Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Did not enter Declined invitation
Italy 1934 Quarter-finals 6th 2 1 0 1 5 4 Squad 1st 2 2 0 0 8 2
France 1938 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 15 5 Squad 1st 1 1 0 0 11 1
Brazil 1950 Did not enter Did not enter
Switzerland 1954 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 27 10 Squad Qualified automatically by W.O. due to Poland's withdrawal
Sweden 1958 Group stage 10th 4 1 1 2 7 5 Squad 1st 4 3 0 1 12 4
Chile 1962 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 8 3 Squad 1st 4 3 1 0 11 5
England 1966 6th 4 2 0 2 8 7 Squad 1st 4 3 1 0 8 3
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify P/O 7 4 1 2 17 11
West Germany 1974 3rd 6 2 4 0 12 7
Argentina 1978 Group stage 15th 3 0 0 3 3 8 Squad P/O 6 4 1 1 15 6
Spain 1982 14th 3 1 1 1 12 6 Squad 1st 8 4 2 2 13 8
Mexico 1986 18th 3 1 0 2 2 9 Squad 1st 6 5 0 1 12 4
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 3rd 8 2 4 2 8 12
United States 1994 4th 8 2 1 5 6 11
France 1998 P/O 10 3 3 4 11 20
South Korea Japan 2002 4th 8 2 2 4 14 13
Germany 2006 4th 10 4 2 4 13 14
South Africa 2010 4th 10 5 1 4 10 8
Brazil 2014 3rd 10 5 2 3 21 20
Russia 2018 3rd 10 4 1 5 14 14
Qatar 2022 4th 10 5 2 3 19 13
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Runners-up 9/22 32 15 3 14 87 57 — Total 132 63 28 41 235 176

UEFA European Championship

[edit]
Main article: Hungary at the UEFA European Championship

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place  

UEFA European Championship record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Position Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 Did not qualify FR 2 0 0 2 1 4
Spain 1964 Third place 3rd 2 1 0 1 4 3 Squad QF 6 4 2 0 14 8
Italy 1968 Did not qualify QF 8 5 1 2 17 8
Belgium 1972 Fourth place 4th 2 0 0 2 1 3 Squad QF 9 5 3 1 17 9
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1976 Did not qualify 2nd 6 3 1 2 15 8
Italy 1980 2nd 6 2 2 2 9 9
France 1984 4th 8 3 1 4 18 17
West Germany 1988 3rd 8 4 0 4 13 11
Sweden 1992 4th 8 2 4 2 10 9
England 1996 4th 8 2 2 4 7 13
Belgium Netherlands 2000 4th 10 3 3 4 14 10
Portugal 2004 4th 8 3 2 3 15 9
Austria Switzerland 2008 6th 12 4 0 8 11 22
Poland Ukraine 2012 3rd 10 6 1 3 22 14
France 2016 Round of 16 13th 4 1 2 1 6 8 Squad 3rd (PO winners) 12 6 4 2 14 10
Europe 2020 Group stage 20th 3 0 2 1 3 6 Squad 4th (PO winners) 10 6 0 4 13 13
Germany 2024 18th 3 1 0 2 2 5 Squad 1st 8 5 3 0 16 7
England Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland Scotland Wales 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total Third place 5/17 14 3 4 7 16 25 — Total 139 63 29 47 226 181

UEFA Nations League

[edit]
UEFA Nations League record
Season Division Group Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA RK P/R
2018–19 C 2 Group stage 2nd 6 3 1 2 9 6 31/55 Rise
2020–21 B 3 Group stage 1st 6 3 2 1 7 4 20/55 Rise
2022–23 A 3 Group stage 2nd 6 3 1 2 8 5 8/55 Same position
2024–25 A 3 To be determined
Total Group stage 3/3 18 9 4 5 24 15 8th

Olympic Games

[edit]
The gold medal of the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki

The first three Olympic football events were only unofficial tournaments, with a few nations represented by a club team. Beginning in 1908, the Olympic football tournament became an official event.

After 1988, the football event was changed into an under-23-only tournament.

  Gold medalists     Silver medalists     Bronze medalists  

Summer Olympics record
Year Host Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
1896 Greece Athens No football tournament
1900 France Paris Not invited
1904 United States St. Louis
1908 United Kingdom London Withdrew
1912 Sweden Stockholm Round 2 10th 1 0 0 1 0 7 Squad
1920 Belgium Antwerp Did not enter
1924 France Paris Round 2 9th 2 1 0 1 5 3 Squad
1928 Netherlands Amsterdam Did not enter
1932 United States Los Angeles No football tournament
1936 Nazi Germany Berlin Round 1 13th 1 0 0 1 0 3 Squad
1948 United Kingdom London Did not enter
1952 Finland Helsinki Gold medalists 1st 6 6 0 0 20 2 Squad
1956 Australia Melbourne Did not enter
1960 Italy Rome Bronze medalists 3rd 5 4 0 1 17 9 Squad
1964 Japan Tokyo Gold medalists 1st 5 5 0 0 22 6 Squad
1968 Mexico Mexico City Gold medalists 1st 5 5 1 0 18 3 Squad
1972 West Germany Munich Silver medalists 2nd 7 5 1 1 21 5 Squad
1976 Canada Montreal Did not qualify
1980 Soviet Union Moscow
1984 United States Los Angeles Boycott
1988 South Korea Seoul Did not qualify
Since 1992 See Hungary national under-21 football team
Total 3 Gold medals 8/19 32 26 2 5 103 38 —

Team records

[edit]
Puskás, top scorer of the 20th century

The match between Austria and Hungary in Vienna in 1902 was the first international match played between two non-British European countries.

Hungary was the first team from outside the United Kingdom and Ireland to beat England at home, famously winning 6–3 at Wembley on 25 November 1953. Six months later they beat England 7–1 in 1954, this time in Budapest. This still ranks as England's record defeat.

Gusztáv Sebes holds the highest ratio of victories per game (over 30 matches only) with 72% (49 wins, 12, draws, 7 defeats).

Hungary has the distinction of setting the highest Elo football rating ever achieved by a national side, a high of 2230 in 1954. It was set after Hungary's 4–2 victory over Uruguay in the 1954 World Cup semi-final on 30 June 1954, the final match in their 31-game unbeaten streak (see below). Germany and England come in second (2223 in 2014) and third (2212 in 1928) respectively.

The youngest-ever player of the Hungarian national team, József Horváth, is the second youngest scorer of European national teams according the IFFHS.[107]

Ferenc Puskás is recognized to be the top scorer of the 20th century, by the IFFHS.

Top international goalscorers of the 20th century

[edit]

Two of the top six international goalscorers of the 20th century were Hungarian, both of them from the Golden Team of the 1950s.[citation needed]

# Player Nation Goals scored Games played Years active
1. Ferenc Puskás  Hungary 84 goals 85 internationals 1945–1956
2. Kunishige Kamamoto  Japan 80 goals 84 internationals 1964–1977
3. Pelé  Brazil 77 goals 91 internationals 1957–1971
4. Sándor Kocsis  Hungary 75 goals 68 internationals 1948–1956
5. Majed Abdullah  Saudi Arabia 71 goals 116 internationals 1978–1994
6. Gerd Müller  West Germany 68 goals 62 internationals 1966–1974

Undefeated run

[edit]

Hungary was the first team to eclipse an 1888 Scottish record of being undefeated in 22 consecutive matches. They bettered the old mark by nine additional games to 31, now the third-longest unbeaten streak, going undefeated from 14 May 1950 to 4 July 1954, when they lost the World Cup final to West Germany.[108]

Italy holds the longest string at 37 unbeaten matches.

* = not official

Opponent Type Date Result
 Poland Exhibition game 4 June 1950 5–2
 Albania Exhibition game 24 September 1950 12–0
 Austria Exhibition game 29 October 1950 4–3
 Bulgaria Exhibition game 12 November 1950 1–1
 Poland Exhibition game 27 May 1951 6–0
 Czechoslovakia Exhibition game 14 October 1951 2–1
 Finland Exhibition game 18 November 1951 8–0
 East Germany Exhibition game 18 May 1952 5–0*
 Poland Exhibition game 15 June 1952 5–1
 Finland Exhibition game 22 June 1952 6–1
 Romania 1952 Olympics 15 July 1952 2–1
 Italy 1952 Olympics 21 July 1952 3–0
 Turkey 1952 Olympics 24 July 1952 7–1
 Sweden 1952 Olympics 28 July 1952 6–0
 Yugoslavia 1952 Olympics 2 August 1952 2–0
  Switzerland Central European Cup 20 September 1952 4–2
 Czechoslovakia Exhibition game 19 October 1952 5–0
 Austria Exhibition game 26 April 1953 1–1
 Italy Central European Cup 17 May 1953 3–0
 Sweden Exhibition game 5 July 1953 4–2
 Bulgaria Exhibition game 4 October 1953 1–1
 Czechoslovakia Exhibition game 4 October 1953 5–1
 Austria Exhibition game 11 October 1953 3–2
 Sweden Exhibition game 15 November 1953 2–2
 England Exhibition game 25 November 1953 6–3
 Egypt Exhibition game 12 February 1954 3–0
 Austria Exhibition game 11 April 1954 1–0
 England Exhibition game 23 May 1954 7–1
 South Korea 1954 FIFA World Cup 17 June 1954 9–0
 West Germany 1954 FIFA World Cup 20 June 1954 8–3
 Brazil 1954 FIFA World Cup 27 June 1954 4–2
 Uruguay 1954 FIFA World Cup 30 June 1954 4–2 (a.e.t.)

Record defeats against Hungary

[edit]

A total of 10 countries have suffered their biggest ever defeat against the Hungarian national football team. Of these teams, 6 are members of UEFA, 3 of CAF and one of CONCACAF. The win against El Salvador is the biggest scoreline in men's FIFA World Cup finals history.[109][110]

29 October 1911 Friendly Hungary  9–0   Switzerland Budapest, Hungary
15:00 (UTC+1:00) Bíró 1'
Koródy 5', 26'
Schlosser 18', 56', 62', 79', 83', 85'		 Report Stadium: Millenáris Sporttelep
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Hugo Meisl (Austria)
Note: Imre Schlosser set the goal scoring record for Hungary (23 goals). This match was also the biggest victory of the Hungary football team at the time.
6 April 1924 Friendly Hungary  7–1  Italy Budapest, Hungary
16:30 (UTC+1:00) Braun 17', 42' (pen.)
Eisenhoffer 49'
Molnár 59', 60', 69'
Opata 70'		 Report Cevenini 76' (pen.) Stadium: Hungária körúti stadion
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Max Seemann (Austria)
25 March 1938 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Hungary  11–1  Greece Budapest, Hungary
Zsengellér 14', 23' (pen.), 24', 65', 81', 83'
Titkos 17', 65'
Vincze 26'
Nemes 36', 40', 51'		 Report Makris 89' Stadium: Hungária körúti stadion
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Denis Xifando (Romania)
6 June 1948 1948 Balkan Cup Hungary  9–0  Romania Budapest, Hungary
Mészáros 30', 46'
Egresi 43', 61', 72'
Puskás 58', 82'
Kocsis 67', 85'		 Report Stadium: Megyeri úti Stadion
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Antun Mlinarić (Yugoslavia)
24 September 1950 Friendly Hungary 12–0  Albania Budapest, Hungary
15:30 Puskás 18', 36', 75', 82'
Budai 33', 52', 60', 65'
Palotás 39', 50'
Kocsis 42', 53'		 Stadium: Megyeri úti Stadion
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Nemčovský Josef (Czechoslovakia)
23 May 1954 Friendly Hungary 7–1  England Budapest, Hungary
Lantos 10'
Puskás 17', 71'
Kocsis 19', 57'
Hidegkuti 59'
Tóth 63'		 Broadis 68' Stadium: Népstadion
Attendance: 92,000
Referee: Giorgio Bernardi (Italy)
24 July 1960 Friendly Hungary  10–1  Tunisia Budapest, Hungary
Albert 6', 70', 81', 88'
Göröcs 17' (40)
Solymosi 32'
Pál 38'
Kuharszki 49', 76'		 Stadium: Népstadion
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: József Pósfai (Hungary)
11 October 1964 1964 Olympics Hungary  6–0  Morocco Tokyo, Japan
14:00 Bene 13', 38' (pen.), 70', 74', 78', 87' Report Stadium: National Olympic Stadium
Attendance: 65,793
Referee: Kim Duk-chun (South Korea)
15 June 1982 1982 World Cup Hungary 10–1  El Salvador Elche, Spain
21:00 CEST Nyilasi 4', 83'
Pölöskei 11'
Fazekas 23', 54'
Tóth 50'
L. Kiss 69', 72', 76'
Szentes 70'		 Report Ramírez Zapata 64' Stadium: Nuevo Estadio
Attendance: 23,000
Referee: Ibrahim Youssef Al-Doy (Bahrain)

All-time team record

[edit]

The following table shows Hungary's all-time international record, correct as of 19 June 2024.[111]

Against Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD
Total 993 470 215 308 2000 1453 +547

Head-to-head record

[edit]

The following table shows Hungary's all-time international record. Updated 19 June 2024, after the match against  Germany.

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

FIFA ranking

[edit]

Last updated on 16 June 2024

Key to FIFA World Rankings table
Highest position
Lowest position
Notes
  • Note 1: in January 1999 FIFA changed the system of the ranking calculation
  • Note 2: in July 2006 FIFA changed the system of the ranking calculation
  • Note 3: in August 2018 FIFA changed the system of the ranking calculation

Honours

[edit]

Major competitions

[edit]

Minor competitions

[edit]

Other

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Includes matches against  West Germany and  East Germany
  2. ^ Includes matches against  Soviet Union
  3. ^ Includes matches against  Yugoslavia

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  3. ^ "FIFA President: FIFA to help the Galloping Major". FIFA. 12 October 2005. Archived from the original on 7 October 2006. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
  4. ^ "Coronel Puskas, el zurdo de oro" (in Spanish). AS. 17 November 2006. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
  5. ^ Mackay, Duncan (13 October 2005). "Lineker tees up another nice little earner". London: TheGuardian.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
  6. ^ "Blatter unveils FIFA Puskas Award". Archived from the original on 13 December 2009.
  7. ^ Bolchover, David (2017). The Greatest Comeback: From Genocide To Football Glory: The Story of Béla Guttman. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781785902642. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2020 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  9. ^ "1934 FIFA World Cup Italy". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 3 June 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  10. ^ "1934 FIFA World Cup – Hungary 4–2 Egypt". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
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  13. ^ "1938 FIFA World Cup Hungary 6–0 Dutch East Indies". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  14. ^ "1938 FIFA World Cup Hungary 2–0 Switzerland". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 4 November 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  15. ^ "1938 FIFA World Cup Hungary 5–1 Sweden". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
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  17. ^ "The Hungarian disasters – England v Hungary, 1953–4". The Guardian. 17 May 2009. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  18. ^ "1954 FIFA World Cup Switzerland". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 3 June 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  19. ^ "1954 FIFA World Cup – Hungary 9–0 Korea Republic". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  20. ^ "1954 FIFA World Cup – Hungary 8–3 Germany FR". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  21. ^ "1954 FIFA World Cup – Hungary 4–2 Brazil". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 17 August 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  22. ^ "1954 FIFA World Cup – Hungary 4–2 Uruguay". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 27 August 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  23. ^ "1954 FIFA World Cup – Germany 3–2 Hungary". FIFA. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  24. ^ "West Germany's 1954 World Cup win may have been drug-fuelled, says study". Guardian. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
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  26. ^ "Germany accused of doping in 1954 World Cup". Independent. 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 31 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
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