Hungary National Football 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
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
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
First colours
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Hungary National Football Team
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 26 Increase 1 (4 April 2024)
Highest18 (April–May 2016)
Lowest87 (July 1996)
First international
Hungary National Football Team Austria 5–0 Hungary Hungary National Football Team
(Vienna, Austria; 12 October 1902)
Biggest win
Hungary National Football Team Russia 0–12 Hungary Hungary National Football Team
(Moscow, Russia; 14 July 1912)
Hungary National Football Team Hungary 13–1 France Hungary National Football Team
(Budapest, Hungary; 12 June 1927)
Hungary National Football Team Hungary 12–0 Albania Hungary National Football Team
(Budapest, Hungary; 24 September 1950)
Biggest defeat
Hungary National Football Team Hungary 0–7 England Hungary National Football Team
(Budapest, Hungary; 10 June 1908)
Hungary National Football Team Great Britain 7–0 Hungary Hungary National Football Team
(Stockholm, Sweden; 30 June 1912)
Hungary National Football Team Germany 7–0 Hungary Hungary National Football Team
(Cologne, Germany; 6 April 1941)
Hungary National Football Team Netherlands 8–1 Hungary Hungary National Football Team
(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)

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, to whom FIFA dedicated the Puskás Award, given annually to the player who scored the "most beautiful" goal of the calendar year. 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

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

1910s

Hungary National Football Team 
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 won 9–0 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 World War I 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

Hungary National Football Team 
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. The formation the Hungarians used was 2–3–5 which was unique at that time.

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 Olympic Games 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. At the 1924 Summer Olympics, in the first match Hungary beat Poland but in the second round they 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 0–5. On 12 June 1927, Hungary beat France by 13–1, which is still a record. József Takács scored six goals.

Golden Era

1930s

Hungary National Football Team 
Hungary preparing for the 1938 FIFA World Cup

The first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930, 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. 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. In the quarter-finals, Hungary faced neighbouring arch-rivals Austria but lost 2–1, the only Hungarian goal coming from György Sárosi.

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. 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. In the quarter-finals, Hungary beat Switzerland 2–0 with goals by Sárosi and Zsengellér. 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. In the final, Hungary faced Italy at the Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris, but lost 4–2. The Hungarian goals were scored by Pál Titkos and Sárosi.

1950s

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.

Hungary National Football Team 
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 Olympics 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 the first Hungarian goal in the first minute. At half-time the score was 4–2 to Hungary. The Hungarian goals were scored by Nándor Hidegkúti (1st, 22nd) and Ferenc Puskás (25th, 29th). In the second half the Hungarians scored twice more (Hidegkúti and József Bozsik). The final score was 6–3.

Hungary National Football Team 
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. 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. The first match was played against South Korea and Hungary won by 9–0 at the Hardturm, Zürich. In the second group match, Hungary played against West Germany and won by 8–3 at St. Jakob Stadium, Basel. In the quarter-finals, Hungary beat Brazil 4–2 at the Wankdorf Stadium, Bern. In the semi-finals, Hungary played with the two-times World Cup winner Uruguay in Lausanne; Hungary won by 4–2 after extra time. In the final, Hungary faced with 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. The Golden Team, built around the legendary Ferenc Puskás, led early 2–0, but ended up 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.

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.

Hungary qualified for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. Hungary played their first match against Wales at the Jarnvallen stadium in Sandviken and the final result was 1–1. The second group match was played against the host country, Sweden, where Hungary lost 2–1 at the Råsunda Stadium, Solna. Although Hungary won their last group match against Mexico at the Jarnvallen stadium in Sandvinken, 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

Hungary National Football Team 
Flórián Albert (1941–2011) and Kálmán Mészöly (1941–2022)

In 1960, Hungary again entered the Olympics held in Italy and was drawn into Group D with France, Peru and India. Hungary finished top of the group with all wins and a 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 goal each from Orosz and Dunai.

Hungary qualified for the 1962 World Cup, held in Chile. On 31 May 1962, in the first group match, Hungary beat England by 2–1 thanks to the goals of Lajos Tichy and Flórián Albert at El Teniente stadium in Rancagua in front of 7,938 spectators. The second match on 3 June 1962 was even more convincing against Bulgaria; the match was won 6–1 in Rancagua. The last group match was against Argentina on 6 June 1962 and the final result was a goalless draw in front of 7,945 spectators in Rancagua. 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 in front of 11,690 spectators.

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, Hungary beat United Arab Republic (Egypt) 6–0 with four goals from Bene and two from Komora. In the finals, Hungary beat Czechoslovakia 2–1 thanks from an own goal by Weiss and a goal by Bene, thus won their second gold medal.

Hungary qualified for the 1964 European Nations' Cup which was organised in Spain. Hungary played against Spain in the semi-finals of the tournament. The final result was 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. Dezső Novák scored twice in the extra time. Hungary also managed to qualify for the 1966 World Cup which was held in the home of football, England. On 13 July 1966, Hungary lost their first group match against Eusébio's Portugal (3–1) at Old Trafford, Manchester. Two days later, in the second group match Hungary beat Brazil thanks to the goals of Ferenc Bene, János Farkas and Kálmán Mészöly at Goodison Park, Liverpool. In the last round of the group matches, on 20 July 1966, Hungary beat Bulgaria 3–1. The goals were scored by Mészöly and Bene. Hungary finished second in the group and qualified for the quarter-finals. In the quarter-finals, Hungary were eliminated by the Soviet Union on 23 July 1966 by 2–1 at the Roker Park in Sunderland in front of 26,844 spectators.

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 with 1–0 from a goal by Szűcs. In the semi-finals, they beat Japan 5–0 thanks to Szűcs with three goals and two from Novák. In the finals, 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 was the most successful footballer of Ferencváros since the formation of the club, scoring 255 goals in 351 matches from 1958 to 1974.

Slow regression

1970s

Hungary National Football Team 
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. The only Hungarian goal was scored by Varady.

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. The only Hungarian goal was scored by Lajos Kű. Hungary finished fourth in at the Euro. The Hungarians would not appear at the European Championship again for 44 years until UEFA Euro 2016.

Hungary participated in the 1978 World Cup which was held in Argentina. On 2 June 1978 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Hungary played with Argentina. Although Károly Csapó scored an early goal, the home side won the match by 2–1. Hungary played their second group match against Italy and the Azzurri won by 3–1. Hungary's third match was played against Michel Platini's France and Hungary lost 3–1 which resulted the farewell of the national side.

1980s

Hungary National Football Team 
Zombori and Martos against Ardiles and Kempes at the 1978 FIFA World Cup

During the 1980s, Hungary qualified for the World Cup twice. The first group match of the 1982 tournament in Spain was played against El Salvador, where Hungary won 10–1 at Estadio Nuevo, Elche. The goals were scored by Tibor Nyilasi (2), Gábor Pölöskei, László Fazekas (2), József Tóth, László Kiss (3) and Lázár Szentes. In spite of the big victory, Hungary 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. Although Hungary drew in the last match against Belgium, they were eliminated from the World Cup. Hungary, however, had been leading in the first half thanks to a goal by József Varga.

Hungary's last World Cup appearance to date was the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. In the first match of the group Hungary lost 6–0 to the Soviet Union. Football experts date the crisis of the Hungarian football from this match. Although Hungary won their second match against Canada 2–0 (the goals were scored by Márton Esterházy and Lajos Détári), they lost to Michel Platini's France 3–0 in the last group match.

Era of decline

1990s

During the 1990s, Hungary were not able to qualify for any international tournaments save for the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta. The 1980s were considered as the most bitter years of Hungarian football until then, but the 1990s proved to be the worst. In 1996, Hungary reached its lowest FIFA World Ranking, 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 since earlier the biggest clubs from Budapest (Ferencváros, Újpest, Honvéd and MTK) produced the 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 the richer Western European clubs. The crisis in the Hungarian club football affected the performance of the national team.

Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás was appointed as the head coach of the national side in 1993 in order to bring back earlier success. He led the team for only four matches, however, as the former Honvéd and Real Madrid star failed to make an impact. The only remarkable 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. In the second group match, Hungary played Brazil and lost to 3–1. The only Hungarian goal was scored by Csaba Madar. The last group match was played against Japan, a 3–2 loss. The Hungarian goals were scored by Csaba Madar and Tamás Sándor. Although the Olympic qualification of the young team was a big surprise and people thought that Hungary would re-emerge on the international football scene, the team never reached any similar success later. In the 1990s, Hungary were the closest to qualify for the 1998 World Cup but were eliminated in the play-offs by Yugoslavia with a 12–1 aggregate score.

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

2000s

Hungary were unable to qualify for any major tournament, missing out UEFA Euro 2000, 2004, 2008 and the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups. Moreover, during the Euro 2008 qualification, Hungary finished sixth in their group, reaching their nadir in their football history. They even lost to minnows Malta which resulted in the resignation of Péter Bozsik. Several days later, Péter Várhidi was appointed who was famous for his appearances in the Sport 1, Hungarian sport television, and analyzing the Italian Serie A clubs. He proved his talent by beating the 2006 World Champions Italy 3–1 at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium in a friendly tie. Neither Bozsik nor Várhidi, however, could do well in the official matches, which resulted in their removal. The Hungarian Football Federation even tried out foreign coaches: both Lothar Matthäus and Erwin Koeman failed to qualify for any tournaments.

Resurgence

2010s

Hungary National Football Team 
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. 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. At the end of the year, the national team played Liechtenstein as a commemoration of the recently deceased Flórián Albert, 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. For their final group game, a 2–0 win against Andorra, Hungary were led by caretaker manager József Csábi. They finished in third place in the group, on 17 points, missing out on qualification. After the match, striker Ádám Szalai gave a press conference delivering a poignant scathing monologue about his perception of "continuously lying to our supporters" when it came to suggesting that the team had a chance against current leading teams of the world. Similar sentiments have been expressed before by midfielder Szabolcs Huszti. During this period, a film crew began filming the team during both their preparations and matches; the film, Még 50 perc was eventually released in 2016 just before Euro 2016.

Attila Pintér was appointed as head coach of the national team in December 2013. Some[who?] had seen this decision as controversial, given Pintér's low popularity with fans and players alike. 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. Pintér was subsequently dismissed, with Pál Dárdai appointed as a temporary replacement for three matches. He turned down an offer to manage the team on a permanent basis, but was kept on. Subsequently, Dardai was at Hertha BSC, where he had been passing youth coach, was promoted to manager of the first team, but he remained still coach. In the summer of 2015, he resigned as coach of the Hungary national team to devote himself to his work as Hertha manager. He was eventually replaced by the German sports director of the Hungarian Football Association, Bernd Storck, in July 2015. Storck exercised incidentally continue from the post of Sports Director of the Association.

Hungary National Football Team 
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) after 44 years, when Hungary was qualified for the 1972 tournament. Hungary beat Norway in the first leg of the qualifying playoffs 1–0; the only goal was scored by László Kleinheisler. On the return match, Hungary beat Norway 2–1 and qualified for the Euro 2016 finals. 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. On 10 November 2017, Hungary was embarrassed again when they were defeated by Luxembourg 2–1 in a friendly. 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.

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 screwed 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. 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

Hungary National Football Team 
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. However, Hungary faced a setback when Russia, who Hungary had failed to win against since 1978, beat them at home with 2–3. 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. Despite 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. 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.

Hungary National Football Team 
Hungary national team in 2022 against Germany in Nations League

In 2021, Hungary was drawn in the "group of death" of the tournament. Group F featured Portugal, the defending European champions, France, the world champions, and Germany, the 2014 world champions. The Hungarians fought against the odds and put on a heroic performance. The first match in Group F was against Portugal on 15 June in the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. The team held onto a 0–0 draw until the 84th minute, even scoring a goal which was disallowed because scorer Schön was offside. The Hungarians lost focus and the match ended in a 3–0 win for Portugal

The second game was played on 19 June against France. Fiola took the lead in the second minute of extra time in the first half. Griezmann later equalized and the match ended 1–1, a fantastic result for the small country. The last group game was played on 23 June in Munich, in the Allianz Arena. Still having a chance to qualify, the Hungarians were fired up. They took the lead twice, but the match ultimately ended in a 2–2 draw. Hungary exited the tournament, and Germany saved themselves from another group-stage exit after the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

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, the Red-White-Greens quickly proved their worth when they beat last year's UEFA Euro silver medalist England 1–0 with a Dominik Szoboszlai penalty an hour into the match. After the victory, expectations were cooled with a 2–1 defeat against Italy in Cesena, nevertheless, an early Zsolt Nagy goal that could only be equalized by Jonas Hofmann resulted in a 1–1 draw against Germany, 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. For the last two match days, 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. 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.

Team image

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 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying (The other teams of the group were England, Switzerland and Norway), UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying (The other teams of the group were Portugal, Slovakia, Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein), 2002 World Cup qualifying (The other teams of the group were Italy, Georgia and Lithuania), 2014 World Cup qualifying (The other teams of the group were Netherlands, Turkey, Estonia and Andorra) and UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying (The other teams of the group were Greece, Northern Ireland, Finland and Faroe Islands).

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

Hungary National Football Team 
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 FIFA World Cup qualification match on 1 April 2009 at Ferenc Puskás Stadium.

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

Kits and crest

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 actual 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

Kit supplier Period
Hungary National Football Team  Adidas 1976–1989
1994–present
Hungary National Football Team  Umbro 1990–1994

Home stadium

Exterior of the Puskás Aréna
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. The stadium was opened in 1953. On 23 May 1954, England lost to 7–1 against the Hungary national team. The capacity of the stadium at the end was 35,100 (approved by the UEFA) though its original capacity exceeded the 100,000. The stadium also hosted one of the Derbies of Budapest, including Ferencváros, Újpest, MTK, Honvéd or Vasas. The national teams's final match played at the stadium resulted in 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 UEFA Euro 2020. On 19 September 2014, Sándor Csányi, the president of the Hungarian Football Federation, said that the fact that Budapest can host UEFA Euro 2020 is a big achievement of the Hungarian sport diplomacy.

On 15 November 2019 the Puskás Aréna was opened by the match Hungary-Uruguay. The idea to invite the Uruguay national football team came from Károly Jankovics who is the leader of the Hungarian community in Montevideo. All of the tickets were sold for the opening match against Uruguay. In the first three days only the members of the Supporters' Club of the Hungarian Football Federation could purchase the tickets.

On 10 August 2014, Ferencváros' Groupama Arena was opened which was the temporary home of the national team between 2014 and 2019 during the EURO 2016 qualification, 2018 World Cup qualification and Euro 2020 qualification.

Results and fixtures

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

v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
17 June 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Montenegro Hungary National Football Team  0–0 Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Podgorica, Montenegro
18:00 Report Stadium: City Stadium
Attendance: 6,761
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain)
v Hungary National Football Team  Lithuania
20 June 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Hungary Hungary National Football Team  2–0 Hungary National Football Team  Lithuania Budapest, Hungary
20:45
  • Varga Hungary National Football Team  32'
  • Sallai Hungary National Football Team  83'
Report Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 58,274
Referee: António Nobre (Portugal)
v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
7 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Serbia Hungary National Football Team  1–2 Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Belgrade, Serbia
20:45 A. Szalai Hungary National Football Team  10' (a.g.) Report
Stadium: Stadion Rajko Mitić
Attendance: 6,294
Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera (Spain)
v Hungary National Football Team  Czech Republic
10 September 2023 Friendly Hungary Hungary National Football Team  1–1 Hungary National Football Team  Czech Republic Budapest, Hungary
18:00
Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 54,444
Referee: Igor Pajać (Croatia)
v Hungary National Football Team  Serbia
14 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Hungary Hungary National Football Team  2–1 Hungary National Football Team  Serbia Budapest, Hungary
20:45
Report
Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 58,215
Referee: François Letexier (France)
v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
17 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Lithuania Hungary National Football Team  2–2 Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Kaunas, Lithuania
21:45 (UTC+3)
Report
Stadium: Darius and Girėnas Stadium
Attendance: 5,349
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (Albania)
v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
16 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Bulgaria Hungary National Football Team  2–2 Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Sofia, Bulgaria
19:00 (UTC+2)
Report
Stadium: Vasil Levski National Stadium
Attendance: 230
Referee: Daniel Stefanski (Poland)
v Hungary National Football Team  Montenegro
19 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Hungary Hungary National Football Team  3–1 Hungary National Football Team  Montenegro Budapest, Hungary
15:00
Report
Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Attendance: 59,600
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)

2024

v Hungary National Football Team  Turkey
22 March Friendly Hungary Hungary National Football Team  1–0 Hungary National Football Team  Turkey Budapest, Hungary
20:45
Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Referee: Bartosz Frankowski (Poland)
v Hungary National Football Team  Kosovo
26 March Friendly Hungary Hungary National Football Team  2–0 Hungary National Football Team  Kosovo Budapest, Hungary
19:00
Stadium: Puskás Aréna
Referee: Ovidiu Hategan (Romania)
v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
4 June Friendly Republic of Ireland Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Dublin, Ireland
20:45 Stadium: Aviva Stadium
v Hungary National Football Team  Israel
8 June Friendly Hungary Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Israel Debrecen, Hungary
18:00 Stadium: Nagyerdei Stadion
v Hungary National Football Team   Switzerland
15 June UEFA Euro 2024 Group A Hungary Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team   Switzerland Cologne, Germany
15:00 Report Stadium: RheinEnergieStadion
v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
19 June UEFA Euro 2024 Group A Germany Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Stuttgart, Germany
18:00 Report Stadium: MHPArena
v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
23 June UEFA Euro 2024 Group A Scotland Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Stuttgart, Germany
21:00 Report Stadium: MHPArena
v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
7 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Germany Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Germany
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: TBD
v Hungary National Football Team  Bosnia and Herzegovina
10 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Hungary Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Bosnia and Herzegovina Hungary
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: TBD
v Hungary National Football Team  Netherlands
11 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Hungary Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Netherlands Hungary
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: TBD
v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
14 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Bosnia and Herzegovina Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Bosnia and Herzegovina
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: TBD
v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary
16 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Netherlands Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Hungary Netherlands
20:45 CEST (UTC+01:00) Report Stadium: TBD
v Hungary National Football Team  Germany
19 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Hungary Hungary National Football Team  v Hungary National Football Team  Germany Hungary
20:45 CEST (UTC+01:00) Report Stadium: TBD

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head Coach Hungary National Football Team  Marco Rossi
Assistant Coaches Hungary National Football Team  Cosimo Inguscio
Hungary National Football Team  Zsolt Laczkó
Goalkeeping Coach Hungary National Football Team  István Kövesfalvi
Technical Manager Hungary National Football Team  Attila Tömő
Fitness Coaches Hungary National Football Team  Gábor Schuth
Hungary National Football Team  Szabolcs Szusza
Doctor Hungary National Football Team  Ádám Szilas
Chief Press Officer Hungary National Football Team  Gergő Szabó
Masseur Hungary National Football Team  Tamás Halmai
Kit Manager Hungary National Football Team  László Hegyesi

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for games against Turkey on 22 March and against Kosovo on 26 March 2024.

Caps and goals updated as of 26 March 2024, after the match against Kosovo.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Péter Gulácsi (vice-captain) (1990-05-06) 6 May 1990 (age 33) 52 0 Hungary National Football Team  RB Leipzig
12 1GK Dénes Dibusz (1990-11-16) 16 November 1990 (age 33) 35 0 Hungary National Football Team  Ferencváros
22 1GK Balázs Tóth (1997-09-04) 4 September 1997 (age 26) 0 0 Hungary National Football Team  Fehérvár

2 2DF Ádám Lang (1993-01-17) 17 January 1993 (age 31) 67 1 Hungary National Football Team  Omonia
3 2DF Attila Mocsi (2000-05-29) 29 May 2000 (age 23) 1 0 Hungary National Football Team  Çaykur Rizespor
4 2DF Attila Szalai (vice-captain) (1998-01-20) 20 January 1998 (age 26) 43 1 Hungary National Football Team  SC Freiburg
5 2DF Botond Balogh (2002-06-06) 6 June 2002 (age 21) 3 0 Hungary National Football Team  Parma
23 2DF Márton Dárdai (2002-02-12) 12 February 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Hungary National Football Team  Hertha BSC
25 2DF Gábor Szalai (2000-06-09) 9 June 2000 (age 23) 0 0 Hungary National Football Team  Lausanne-Sport
2DF Willi Orbán (1992-11-03) 3 November 1992 (age 31) 43 6 Hungary National Football Team  RB Leipzig

7 3MF Loïc Négo (1991-01-15) 15 January 1991 (age 33) 35 2 Hungary National Football Team  Le Havre
8 3MF Ádám Nagy (1995-06-17) 17 June 1995 (age 28) 79 2 Hungary National Football Team  Spezia
10 3MF Dominik Szoboszlai (captain) (2000-10-25) 25 October 2000 (age 23) 40 12 Hungary National Football Team  Liverpool
11 3MF Milos Kerkez (2003-11-07) 7 November 2003 (age 20) 14 0 Hungary National Football Team  Bournemouth
13 3MF András Schäfer (1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 (age 25) 24 3 Hungary National Football Team  Union Berlin
14 3MF Bendegúz Bolla (1999-11-22) 22 November 1999 (age 24) 16 0 Hungary National Football Team  Servette
15 3MF László Kleinheisler (1994-04-08) 8 April 1994 (age 30) 49 3 Hungary National Football Team  Hajduk Split
16 3MF Dániel Gazdag (1996-03-02) 2 March 1996 (age 28) 24 4 Hungary National Football Team  Philadelphia Union
17 3MF Callum Styles (2000-03-28) 28 March 2000 (age 24) 20 0 Hungary National Football Team  Sunderland
18 3MF Zsolt Nagy (1993-05-25) 25 May 1993 (age 30) 18 3 Hungary National Football Team  Puskás Akadémia

9 4FW Martin Ádám (1994-11-06) 6 November 1994 (age 29) 21 3 Hungary National Football Team  Ulsan HD
19 4FW Barnabás Varga (1994-10-25) 25 October 1994 (age 29) 9 4 Hungary National Football Team  Ferencváros
20 4FW Roland Sallai (1997-05-22) 22 May 1997 (age 26) 47 12 Hungary National Football Team  SC Freiburg
21 4FW Krisztofer Horváth (2002-01-08) 8 January 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Hungary National Football Team  Kecskemét
24 4FW Zalán Vancsa (2004-10-27) 27 October 2004 (age 19) 2 0 Hungary National Football Team  Lommel

Recent call-ups

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 Péter SzappanosINJ (1990-11-14) 14 November 1990 (age 33) 1 0 Hungary National Football Team  Paks v. Hungary National Football Team  Montenegro, 19 November 2023
GK Patrik Demjén (1998-03-22) 22 March 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Hungary National Football Team  MTK Budapest v. Hungary National Football Team  Montenegro, 19 November 2023

DF Endre Botka (1994-08-25) 25 August 1994 (age 29) 25 1 Hungary National Football Team  Ferencváros v. Hungary National Football Team  Montenegro, 19 November 2023
DF Attila Fiola INJ (1990-02-17) 17 February 1990 (age 34) 56 2 Hungary National Football Team  Fehérvár v. Hungary National Football Team  Lithuania, 17 Oct 2023
DF János Ferenczi (1991-04-03) 3 April 1991 (age 33) 2 0 Hungary National Football Team  Debrecen v. Hungary National Football Team  Lithuania, 20 June 2023

MF Zsolt KalmárINJ (1995-06-09) 9 June 1995 (age 28) 36 3 Hungary National Football Team  Fehérvár v. Hungary National Football Team  Montenegro, 19 November 2023
MF Mihály Kata (2002-04-13) 13 April 2002 (age 22) 3 0 Hungary National Football Team  MTK Budapest v. Hungary National Football Team  Montenegro, 19 November 2023
MF Soma Szuhodovszki (1999-12-30) 30 December 1999 (age 24) 1 0 Hungary National Football Team  Debrecen v. Hungary National Football Team  Montenegro, 19 November 2023
MF Péter Baráth (2002-02-21) 21 February 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Hungary National Football Team  Raków Częstochowa v. Hungary National Football Team  Lithuania, 20 June 2023

FW Kevin Csoboth (2000-06-20) 20 June 2000 (age 23) 7 0 Hungary National Football Team  Újpest v. Hungary National Football Team  Montenegro, 19 November 2023
FW András Németh (2002-11-09) 9 November 2002 (age 21) 4 1 Hungary National Football Team  Hamburger SV v. Hungary National Football Team  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

    As of 27 March 2023

Players in bold are still active with Hungary.

Most appearances

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 Imre Garaba 82 3 1980–1991

Top goalscorers

Hungary National Football Team 
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

Hungary National Football Team 
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

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
Hungary National Football Team  1930 Did not enter Declined invitation
Hungary National Football Team  1934 Quarter-finals 6th 2 1 0 1 5 4 Squad 1st 2 2 0 0 8 2
Hungary National Football Team  1938 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 15 5 Squad 1st 1 1 0 0 11 1
Hungary National Football Team  1950 Did not enter Did not enter
Hungary National Football Team  1954 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 27 10 Squad Qualified automatically by W.O. due to Poland's withdrawal
Hungary National Football Team  1958 Group stage 10th 4 1 1 2 7 5 Squad 1st 4 3 0 1 12 4
Hungary National Football Team  1962 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 8 3 Squad 1st 4 3 1 0 11 5
Hungary National Football Team  1966 6th 4 2 0 2 8 7 Squad 1st 4 3 1 0 8 3
Hungary National Football Team  1970 Did not qualify P/O 7 4 1 2 17 11
Hungary National Football Team  1974 3rd 6 2 4 0 12 7
Hungary National Football Team  1978 Group stage 15th 3 0 0 3 3 8 Squad P/O 6 4 1 1 15 6
Hungary National Football Team  1982 14th 3 1 1 1 12 6 Squad 1st 8 4 2 2 13 8
Hungary National Football Team  1986 18th 3 1 0 2 2 9 Squad 1st 6 5 0 1 12 4
Hungary National Football Team  1990 Did not qualify 3rd 8 2 4 2 8 12
Hungary National Football Team  1994 4th 8 2 1 5 6 11
Hungary National Football Team  1998 P/O 10 3 3 4 11 20
Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  2002 4th 8 2 2 4 14 13
Hungary National Football Team  2006 4th 10 4 2 4 13 14
Hungary National Football Team  2010 4th 10 5 1 4 10 8
Hungary National Football Team  2014 3rd 10 5 2 3 21 20
Hungary National Football Team  2018 3rd 10 4 1 5 14 14
Hungary National Football Team  2022 4th 10 5 2 3 19 13
Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  2026 To be determined To be determined
Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  2030
Hungary National Football Team  2034
Total Runners-up 9/22 32 15 3 14 87 57 Total 132 63 28 41 235 176

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
Hungary National Football Team  1960 Did not qualify FR 2 0 0 2 1 4
Hungary National Football Team  1964 Third place 3rd 2 1 0 1 4 3 Squad QF 6 4 2 0 14 8
Hungary National Football Team  1968 Did not qualify QF 8 5 1 2 17 8
Hungary National Football Team  1972 Fourth place 4th 2 0 0 2 1 3 Squad QF 9 5 3 1 17 9
Hungary National Football Team  1976 Did not qualify 2nd 6 3 1 2 15 8
Hungary National Football Team  1980 2nd 6 2 2 2 9 9
Hungary National Football Team  1984 4th 8 3 1 4 18 17
Hungary National Football Team  1988 3rd 8 4 0 4 13 11
Hungary National Football Team  1992 4th 8 2 4 2 10 9
Hungary National Football Team  1996 4th 8 2 2 4 7 13
Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  2000 4th 10 3 3 4 14 10
Hungary National Football Team  2004 4th 8 3 2 3 15 9
Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  2008 6th 12 4 0 8 11 22
Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  2012 3rd 10 6 1 3 22 14
Hungary National Football Team  2016 Round of 16 13th 4 1 2 1 6 8 Squad 3rd (PO winners) 12 6 4 2 14 10
Hungary National Football Team  2020 Group stage 20th 3 0 2 1 3 6 Squad 4th (PO winners) 10 6 0 4 13 13
Hungary National Football Team  2024 Qualified 1st 8 5 3 0 16 7
Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  2028 To be determined To be determined
Hungary National Football Team  Hungary National Football Team  2032
Total Third place 5/17 11 2 4 5 14 20 Total 139 63 29 47 226 181

UEFA Nations League

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 Hungary National Football Team 
2020–21 B 3 Group stage 1st 6 3 2 1 7 4 20/55 Hungary National Football Team 
2022–23 A 3 Group stage 2nd 6 3 1 2 8 5 8/55 Hungary National Football Team 
2024–25 A 3 To be determined
Total Group stage 3/3 18 9 4 5 24 15 8th

Olympic Games

Hungary National Football Team 
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. Starting from 1908, the Olympic football tournament became an official event, with representation of the official national football teams.

After the Olympics 1988, the football event was changed into a tournament with participation only for the under-23 national teams.

  Gold medalists     Silver medalists     Bronze medalists  

Summer Olympics record
Year Host Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
1896 Hungary National Football Team  Athens No football tournament
1900 Hungary National Football Team  Paris Not invited
1904 Hungary National Football Team  St. Louis
1908 Hungary National Football Team  London Withdrew
1912 Hungary National Football Team  Stockholm Round 2 10th 1 0 0 1 0 7 Squad
1920 Hungary National Football Team  Antwerp Did not enter
1924 Hungary National Football Team  Paris Round 2 9th 2 1 0 1 5 3 Squad
1928 Hungary National Football Team  Amsterdam Did not enter
1932 Hungary National Football Team  Los Angeles No football tournament
1936 Hungary National Football Team  Berlin Round 1 13th 1 0 0 1 0 3 Squad
1948 Hungary National Football Team  London Did not enter
1952 Hungary National Football Team  Helsinki Gold medalists 1st 6 6 0 0 20 2 Squad
1956 Hungary National Football Team  Melbourne Did not enter
1960 Hungary National Football Team  Rome Bronze medalists 3rd 5 4 0 1 17 9 Squad
1964 Hungary National Football Team  Tokyo Gold medalists 1st 5 5 0 0 22 6 Squad
1968 Hungary National Football Team  Mexico City Gold medalists 1st 5 5 1 0 18 3 Squad
1972 Hungary National Football Team  Munich Silver medalists 2nd 7 5 1 1 21 5 Squad
1976 Hungary National Football Team  Montreal Did not qualify
1980 Hungary National Football Team  Moscow
1984 Hungary National Football Team  Los Angeles Boycott
1988 Hungary National Football Team  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

Hungary National Football Team 
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.

The trainer responsible for gelling together the elements of the Hungarian side on the 1950s, Gusztáv Sebes holds the highest ratio of victories per game past 30 matches with 72.06% (49 wins, 12, draws, 7 defeats). Brazil great Vicente Feola (1955–1966) owns the second highest with 71.88% (46 wins, 12 draws, 6 defeats).

Hungary owns the records for quality in offensive throughput in a single World Cup finals competition. Football historians often relate to the 27 goals (5.4 gls / game) and a goal differential of +17 as records likely never to be passed in the more preventive modern game. Sándor Kocsis, along with his record 7 hat tricks in the international game, owns the single World Cup finals competition's record with 2.2 goals/match. In 1953, they also became Central European Champions

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. Brazil of 1962 owns the fourth highest with 2194, and Spain of 2010, with 2165, is the fifth.

The youngest player of the Hungarian national team of all time, József Horváth is the second youngest scorer of European national teams according the IFFHS. He stands out because he scored in his memorable match a brace, instead of a single goal like all the others.

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

Top international goalscorers of the 20th century

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 National Football Team  Hungary 84 goals 85 internationals 1945–1956
2. Kunishige Kamamoto Hungary National Football Team  Japan 80 goals 84 internationals 1964–1977
3. Pelé Hungary National Football Team  Brazil 77 goals 91 internationals 1957–1971
4. Sándor Kocsis Hungary National Football Team  Hungary 75 goals 68 internationals 1948–1956
5. Majed Abdullah Hungary National Football Team  Saudi Arabia 71 goals 116 internationals 1978–1994
6. Gerd Müller Hungary National Football Team  West Germany 68 goals 62 internationals 1966–1974

Undefeated run

Hungary, with its master narrative of being undefeated in the 1950s also broke one of football's timeless benchmarks being first to eclipse an 1888 Scotland national football team record of being undefeated in 22 consecutive matches. They bettered the old mark by nine additional games to 31 (or 32 counting the match against East Germany, that is not considered an official international for that team). Hungary holds the third longest consecutive run of matches unbeaten with 31 international games between 14 May 1950 and 4 July 1954, when they lost the World Cup final to West Germany.

Italy hold the longest string of 37 unbeaten matches.

* = not official

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

Country's biggest ever defeat

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

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

All-time team record

The following table shows Hungary's all-time international record, correct as of 26 March 2024.

Against Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD
Total 988 468 215 305 1992 1446 +546

Head-to-head record

The following table shows Hungary's all-time international record. Updated to 26 March, after the match against Hungary National Football Team  Kosovo.

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

FIFA ranking

Last updated on 19 March 2024

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

Honours

Major competitions

Minor competitions

Other

  • Nehru Cup
    • Hungary National Football Team  Champions (2): 1983, 1989
    • Hungary National Football Team  Silver medal (1): 1991

See also

Notes

References

Tags:

Hungary National Football Team HistoryHungary National Football Team Team imageHungary National Football Team Home stadiumHungary National Football Team Results and fixturesHungary National Football Team Coaching staffHungary National Football Team PlayersHungary National Football Team Player recordsHungary National Football Team Competitive recordHungary National Football Team Team recordsHungary National Football Team All-time team recordHungary National Football Team FIFA rankingHungary National Football Team HonoursHungary National Football Team

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