Hungary has a respectable football history, having won threeOlympic titles, finishing runners-up in the1938 and1954 World Cups, and third in the1964 European Championship. Hungary revolutionized the sport in the 1950s, laying the tactical fundamentals ofTotal Football and dominating international football with the remarkableGolden Team which included legendFerenc Puskás, one of the top goalscorers of the 20th century,[3][4][5] to whom FIFA dedicated thePuskás Award, given annually to the player who scored the "most beautiful" goal of the calendar year.[6] The side of that era has theall-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 heraldedMatch of the Century.
The Hungarian team faced a severe drought starting from their elimination at the1986 World Cup, failing to qualify for a major tournament for thirty years and reaching their lowestFIFA ranking (87) in 1996, as well as finishing sixth in their group of theEuro 2008 qualifiers. They then began a turnaround, qualifying for three consecutive European Championships in2016,2020 and2024, as well as achieving promotion to the2022–23 UEFA Nations League A.
Although Austria and Hungary were constituent countries of the dual monarchy known as theAustro-Hungarian Empire, they formed separatefootball associations and teams around the start of the 20th century.
The national side first appeared at theSummer Olympic Games in1912 inStockholm,Sweden. The team had to ask for donations in order to be able to go to the Games. Hungary lost 7–0 toEngland and thus were eliminated.After the Olympic Games Hungary played two matches againstRussia inMoscow. 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 wasImre Schlosser who scored seven goals. The beginning ofWorld War I had a deep impact on the thriving Hungarian football. Both the country and the clubs were suffering financial problems. During WWI Hungary playedAustria 16 times. In 1919 England claimed the exclusion of theCentral Powers (including Hungary) fromFIFA. When FIFA refused England's plea, the British (English,Scottish,Welsh, andIrish) associations decided to resign from FIFA.
During this period the Fogl brothers (József andKároly Fogl) played in the national team. Between 1921 and 1924,Béla Guttmann also played six times for the team. At the1924 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 beatPoland. They then lost toEgypt. As a consequence, both the head coach and the head of theHungarian Football Federation resigned.
The firstFIFA World Cup was held inUruguay in1930,[8] but Hungary were not invited and did not take part in the tournament; there were no qualification matches. Hungary first appeared in the1934 World Cup inItaly.[9] Hungary's first World Cup match was againstEgypt on 27 May 1934, a 4–2 win. The goals were scored byPál Teleki,Géza Toldi (2) andJenő Vincze.[10] In the quarter-finals, Hungary faced neighbouring arch-rivals Austria and lost 2–1, the only Hungarian goal coming fromGyörgy Sárosi.[11]
Hungary entered the1936 Olympics, where in the first round they were eliminated by Poland, 0–3.
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 strikersFerenc Puskás,Sándor Kocsis, attacking half-backJózsef Bozsik and second strikerNándor Hidegkuti, theAranycsapat ("Golden Team") of the "Magnificent Magyars" captivated the football world with an exciting brand of play with innovative tactical nuances. Excluding the1954 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 toTurkey on 19 February 1956.
In the1952 Summer Olympics inHelsinki, 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, the1948 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 atWembley 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 spectatorsNándor 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 andJózsef Bozsik). The final score was 6–3.
The Golden Team in 1954
On 23 May 1954, the Hungary national team beatEngland 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."
The1954 World Cup was held inSwitzerland.[18] The first match was played againstSouth Korea and Hungary won 9–0 at theHardturm,Zürich.[19] In the second group match, Hungary played againstWest Germany and won 8–3 atSt. Jakob Stadium,Basel.[20] In the quarter-finals, Hungary beatBrazil 4–2 at theWankdorf Stadium,Bern.[21] In the semi-finals, Hungary faced two-time World Cup winnerUruguay inLausanne; 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 the1956 revolution break out just weeks before the1956 Olympics inMelbourne, which was also the scene of theBlood 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 toReal Madrid and later played for Spain, whereas Kocsis and Czibor left forBarcelona.[27][28]
Hungary qualified for the1958 World Cup in Sweden.[29] They played their first match againstWales at theJarnvallen stadium inSandviken and drew 1–1.[30] The second group match was played against hosts Sweden, where Hungary lost 2–1 at theRåsunda Stadium,Solna.[31] Although Hungary won their last group match againstMexico at theJarnvallen stadium inSandvinken,[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 metBrazil in the quarter-finals and were the recipient of youngPelé's first World Cup goal.
In 1960, Hungary entered theOlympics 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 the1962 World Cup, held inChile.[33] On 31 May 1962, in the first group match, Hungary beat England 2–1 thanks to goals scored byLajos Tichy andFlórián Albert atEl Teniente stadium inRancagua.[34] The second match on 3 June was even more convincing againstBulgaria; the match was won 6–1 in Rancagua.[35] The last group match was againstArgentina 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 byCzechoslovakia by 1–0 at El Teniente.[37]
In 1964, Hungary again qualified for the1964 Olympics held inTokyo 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 byFerenc 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 the1964 European Nations' Cup which was held in Spain. They played againstSpain in the semi-finals, losing 2–1 after extra time. The only Hungarian goal was scored byFerenc Bene. In the third place play-off Hungary beatDenmark 3–1 after extra time.[38]
Hungary also managed to qualify for the1966 World Cup which was held in England.[39] On 13 July, Hungary lost their first group match againstEusébio'sPortugal (3–1) atOld Trafford inManchester.[40] Two days later, in the second group match Hungary beat Brazil atGoodison 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 theSoviet Union 2–1 atRoker Park inSunderland.[43]
In1968 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 the1970 FIFA World Cup, following a heavy 4–1 defeat to Czechoslovakia during aqualification play-off, which many see as the beginning of a period of long-standing decline.
Hungary came back again as long-time defending champions in the1972 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 withEast 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 theUEFA Euro 1972 which was held inBelgium. In the semi-finals, Hungary faced the Soviet Union and lost 1–0. In the third place play-off, Hungary lost toBelgium 2–1.[44] The Hungarians would not appear at the European Championship again untilEuro 2016.[45]
Hungary participated in the1978 World Cup which was held inArgentina. Facing the hosts, Argentina won the match 2–1. Hungary played their second group match against Italy and theAzzurri emerged victorious, 3–1. Hungary's third match was played againstMichel Platini's France losing 3–1.[46]
During the 1980s, Hungary qualified for the World Cup twice. The first group match of the1982 tournament in Spain[47] was played againstEl Salvador, where Hungary won 10–1 atEstadio Nuevo,Elche.[48] After the massive win, the Magyars lost to 4–1 toDiego Maradona's Argentina in the second match of the group stages. Maradona scored twice, while the only Hungarian goal was scored by Pölöskei at theEstadio José Rico Pérez inAlicante.[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 the1986 World Cup inMexico.[51] In the first match of the group Hungary lost 6–0 to theSoviet Union.[52] Although Hungary won their second match againstCanada 2–0,[53] they lost to Michel Platini's France 3–0 in the last group match.[54]
During the 1990s, Hungary were not able to qualify for any international tournaments except for the1996 Summer Olympics held inAtlanta. In 1996, the team reached its lowestFIFA World Ranking at 87th. Thefall of the Hungarian communist regime caused financial problems to many Hungarian clubs. Formerly successful clubs likeFerencváros andÚjpest faced financial crisis and bankruptcy. This had a profound effect on the Hungary national team as well, as earlier, the biggest clubs fromBudapest (Ferencváros, Újpest,Honvéd andMTK) produced players for the national side. Another important reason for the decline can be attributed to theBosman ruling; since the Hungarian clubs lost the financial aid from the state in the early 1990s, they were not able to compete with richerWestern 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 andReal Madrid star failed to make an impact. The only success in the 1990s was the qualification of Hungary to the1996 Summer Olympics.Antal Dunai's team played its first group match againstNigeria and lost to 1–0 inOrlando.[55] In the second group match, Hungary played Brazil and lost 3–1.[56] The last group match was played againstJapan, a 3–2 loss.[57] Hungary were eliminated in the1998 World Cupqualifying play-offs byYugoslavia with a 12–1 aggregate score.[58]
During the 2000s, the Hungarian national soccer team faced several challenges and did not achieve significant success in major international tournaments. They struggled to qualify for major competitions like the FIFA World Cup and theUEFA European Championship. Despite their efforts, the team often fell short in the qualification stages, which was a source of disappointment for fans and players alike. The lack of consistent performance and the inability to compete at the highest levels led to a period of stagnation for Hungarian soccer on the international stage.[59]
However, there was a bright spot in 2009 when the Hungary U-20 team won a bronze medal at theFIFA U-20 World Cup inEgypt. The U-20 team’s success was seen as a potential turning point for Hungarian soccer, highlighting the country’s ability to develop young talent, includingVladimir Koman andÁdám Szalai.[60]
Throughout the decade, Hungarian clubs also made some progress in European competitions, though they did not reach the later stages. The domestic league saw fluctuating performances, with clubs likeFerencváros andDebrecen occasionally making it to the group stages of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.[61]
TheHungary national under-20 team head coachSándor Egervári was appointed as head coach for the senior side ahead ofEuro 2012 qualifying in which Hungary were drawn againstFinland,Moldova, theNetherlands,San Marino and Sweden.[62] 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.[63] At the end of the year, the national team playedLiechtenstein as a commemoration of the recently deceased Flórián Albert,[64] the only Hungarian football player to win theBallon d'Or.
Hungary were drawn in Group D in their2014 World Cup qualifying, along with the Netherlands,Turkey,Romania,Estonia andAndorra. 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.[65][66][67] For their final group game, a 2–0 win against Andorra, Hungary were led by caretaker manager József Csábi.[68][69] 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.[70] Some[who?] had seen this decision as controversial, given Pintér's low popularity with fans and players alike.[71] The team played their first game at the newly constructedGroupama Arena on 7 September 2014, a 2–1 defeat toNorthern Ireland inEuro 2016 qualifying.[72] Pintér was subsequently dismissed, withPál Dárdai appointed as atemporary replacement for three matches.[73][74] He turned down an offer to manage the team on a permanent basis,[75] but was kept on.[76]
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.[77] Hungary beatNorway in the first leg of thequalifying playoffs 1–0; the only goal was scored byLászló Kleinheisler.[78] On the return match, Hungary beat Norway 2–1 and qualified for the Euro 2016 finals.[79] After beating Austria 2–0 and drawing withIceland, Hungary played an exciting 3–3 draw againsteventual 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 the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia after finishing outside of the qualification places. Along the way, they drew against theFaroe Islands and were humiliated after being defeated byAndorra 1–0. After failing to qualify, managerBernd Storck resigned.[80]On 10 November 2017, Hungary was embarrassed again when they were defeated byLuxembourg 2–1 in a friendly.[81]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 minnowsKazakhstan (2–3).
On 19 June 2018, after three losses and one draw under his reign, Leekens was let go andMarco Rossi was appointed in his place.[82]
2018–19 UEFA Nations League C saw Hungary drawn with Finland,Greece andEstonia. 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 to2020–21 UEFA Nations League B, having finished second before.
TheUEFA Euro 2020 qualifying drew a mixed result for the Hungarians. Grouped ingroup E, they facedCroatia,Wales,Slovakia andAzerbaijan; the former occupied the silver medal in the2018 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.[83] 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 againstBulgaria.
While Hungary could only gain a play-off spot in hope to reach theUEFA Euro 2020, Hungary's strong result in previous Nations League gathered more optimism. Hungary began their quest in2020–21 UEFA Nations League B sharing a group withRussia,Turkey andSerbia. Hungary impressed in their 1–0 victory against host Turkey,Dominik Szoboszlai scoring the game's only goal with a 30-meter free kick.[84][85] However, Hungary faced a setback when Russia, who Hungary had failed to win against since 1978, beat them at home 3–2.[86] A series of good results followed later, with two draws against Russia and Serbia, an important away win over the Serbs inBelgrade, 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 the2022–23 UEFA Nations League A.
In October 2020, Hungary participated in theplay-offs to qualify for UEFA Euro 2020, where they facedBulgaria in their first game of the play-off series. After making an away trip toSofia, Hungary shone with a 3–1 win to reach the final of the play-off to faceIceland a month later, behind closed doors.[87] The team qualified for the tournament winning 2–1, with last-minute strikes fromLoïc Nego andDominik Szoboszlai to take Hungary into the competition despite an earlier mistake byPéter Gulácsi.[88]
With Euro 2020 being postponed to 2021 because ofCOVID-19, Hungary was drawn in the "group of death" of the tournament.Group F featured Portugal, the defending European champions, France, and Germany.[89] The Hungarians fought against the odds and put on a heroic performance; despite losing 3–0 to Portugal,[90] the Hungarians recorded two points against France and Germany.[91]
2022 again brought the "group of death" for Hungary, as during the2022–23 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,[92] the Red-White-Greens quickly proved their worth when they beat Euro 2020 runner-up England 1–0 with aDominik Szoboszlai penalty an hour into the match.[93] After the victory, expectations were cooled with a 2–1 defeat against Italy inCesena,[94] nevertheless, an earlyZsolt Nagy goal that could only be equalized byJonas Hofmann resulted in a 1–1 draw against Germany,[95] placing the team second in the group behind Italy. On 14 June, Hungary visited England inWolverhampton, achieving a stunning 0–4 victory againstGareth Southgate's squad, taking the group's lead after Italy's defeat to Germany.[96][97] For the last two matchdays, Hungary couldn’t be relegated unless they lost to and England defeated both Germany and Italy. Although England would lose 1-0 to Italy and as a result were relegated in the Nations League with a match to spare anyways, the Hungarians didn’t want to rely on other results asÁdám 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 inLeipzig.[98] 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.[99]
Hungary has a long-standing rivalry with its neighbourRomania. The rivalry dates back to theTreaty of Trianon, where Hungary lostTransylvania to Romania, afterWorld 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 the1982 FIFA World Cup,UEFA Euro 2000,2002 World Cup,2014 World Cup andUEFA Euro 2016.
The match-up betweenAustria 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.
The group was officially formed on 15 May 2009. This date has been commemorated as the group's birthday ever since, with group members displaying fireworks, pyros and organizing marches every year, to celebrate the birth of the "Brigade".[1]
Over the early years of the 2010s, the group would establish themselves as a household name onFerenc Puskás Stadium's B-stand, and would acquire a reputation for violence and hooliganism.[2]
In September 2013, the Carpathian Brigade would dominateHungarian headlines after clashing with the police, Romanian supporters, and displaying an overall unruly behaviour during an away day toBucharest prior to aWorld-Cup qualifier againstRomania.[3][4] In hindsight, this specific tour to Romania is often considered by many as the starting point of the group's infamy.[5]
In October 2014 Hungarian fans travelled to Bucharest en masse to support the national team in theirEURO 2016 qualification game. Just like the previous year, crowd trouble and impromptu fights between Hungarian and Romanian fans occurred ahead of and during the game. After being goaded into a fight by the home fans, Hungarian ultras broke the cordon separating the two fanbases, and attempted to enter the romanian sector.[6] The police prevented the fight from escalating into a full-out mass brawl, by using teargas to separate the crowd. The two sets of fans also clashed with the local police force as well.[7][8]
In September 2015, Hungary would host Romania for a Euro qualifier inBudapest. On the eve of the match Hungarian fans were looking for Romanians in downtown Budapest, but their effort to fight was spoilt by the police. Prior to the match, members of the Carpathian Brigade attacked the police force and attempted to fight Romanian fans. This would mark one of the most violent days in Hungarian hooligan history. Hungarian ultras hurled beer cans and rocks at the police and threwpyros at a group ofMiddle Easternmigrants taking refuge atKeleti station. 51 people were detained after the game, four of whom were Romanian. 38 people needed medical help, and six police officers were taken to hospital. Numerous police cars were set on fire, and the outbreak of fighting rendered some trams to temporarily halt functioning.[9][10]
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 thenational 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.
The home stadium of the Hungary national side is thePuskás Aréna. Formerly, it was theFerenc 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 byUEFA) though its original capacity exceeded 100,000. The stadium also hosted one of theDerbies of Budapest, includingFerencváros,Újpest,MTK,Honvéd orVasas. The national team's final match played at the stadium was a 3–0 win for Hungary againstKazakhstan on 7 June 2014.
On 19 September 2014, UEFA selectedBudapest to host three group stage games and one round of 16 game atEuro 2020.[103][104]
On 15 November 2019, the Puskás Aréna opened with a match against Uruguay. The idea to invite theUruguay national football team came from Károly Jankovics, who is the leader of the Hungarian community inMontevideo.[105]
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.
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.
The match betweenAustria and Hungary inVienna in 1902 was the first international match played between two non-BritishEuropean countries.
Hungary was the first team from outside the United Kingdom andIreland to beatEngland at home, famouslywinning 6–3 atWembley on 25 November 1953. Six months later they beat England7–1 in 1954, this time inBudapest. 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 highestElo football rating ever achieved by a national side, a high of 2230 in 1954. It was set after Hungary's 4–2 victory overUruguay in the1954 World Cup semi-final on 30 June 1954, the final match in their 31-game unbeaten streak (see below).Germany andEngland 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 theIFFHS.[117]
Ferenc Puskás is recognized to be the top scorer of the 20th century, by theIFFHS.
Hungary was the first team to eclipse an 1888Scottish 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.[118]
Italy holds the longest string at 37 unbeaten matches.
A total of 10 countries have suffered their biggest ever defeat against the Hungarian national football team. Of these teams, 6 are members ofUEFA, 3 ofCAF and one ofCONCACAF. The win againstEl Salvador is the biggest scoreline in men'sFIFA World Cup finals history.[119][120]
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.
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