Hungary

Hungary – football between tradition and politics

Hungary are currently ranked around the beginning of the second ten in the UEFA country ranking. This is a significantly better position than that of most Central European leagues, although it is still some distance from the very top. Hungarian clubs have the opportunity to compete regularly in European competitions, while the country benefits from expanding infrastructure and growing organizational experience.

The most important source of points remains Ferencváros. In recent seasons, the Budapest club has clearly outperformed Hungary’s other representatives, while its results in the league phases of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League have helped keep Hungary among the higher-ranked countries.

Ferencváros – Hungary’s leader

Ferencváros is Hungary’s most recognizable club and the biggest brand in Hungarian football. The club regularly wins the national championship, while its European campaigns have been considerably more consistent than those of most of its domestic rivals.

Ferencváros became the first Hungarian club to reach the group stage of the Champions League in the modern era. In recent years, it has returned to the elite competition several times, eliminating teams such as Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb and Molde in qualifying.

The Budapest club also enjoyed success in earlier European competitions. In 1975, it reached the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, while in 1965 it won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the predecessor of the UEFA Cup. Ferencváros remains the only Hungarian club to have appeared in the finals of several different European competitions.

The modern-day Fradi stands out for its strong organization, large fan base and ability to combine Hungarian players with footballers from abroad. This allows the club to regularly collect points for the country even when it does not qualify for the Champions League.

The rest of the league behind the leader

Ferencváros’ position is so strong that Hungary’s other representatives remain clearly in its shadow. Győri ETO, Debreceni VSC, Paksi FC, Fehérvár and Puskás Akadémia have ambitions, but their European campaigns have been much less consistent.

Debrecen went down in history as the second Hungarian club to reach the Champions League group stage. It achieved this in the 2009/10 season, but was unable to maintain a similar level in the following years.

Videoton, now known as Fehérvár, reached the UEFA Cup final in 1985. In the decisive tie, the Hungarian side lost to Real Madrid, but reaching the final was one of the greatest achievements in Hungarian club football during the second half of the 20th century.

Puskás Akadémia has a special position because of its name, which refers to Ferenc Puskás. The club benefits from modern infrastructure and focuses on developing young players, but its European record remains considerably more modest than that of Ferencváros, Debrecen or Videoton.

Hungary as a host of European finals

In recent years, Hungary has frequently hosted important UEFA matches. The most important venue is the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, which opened at the end of the 2010s.

The stadium hosted matches at the European Championship, including a knockout-stage game, as well as the 2020 UEFA Super Cup. Bayern Munich defeated Sevilla after extra time in that match. It was the first European club competition final played at the Puskás Aréna.

In 2023, Budapest hosted the Europa League final. Sevilla defeated Roma on penalties. Hosting the match confirmed that the Puskás Aréna was capable of staging some of the biggest events in European club football.

The most important event was the 2026 Champions League final in Budapest. It was the first time Hungary had hosted the final of Europe’s premier club competition. The Puskás Aréna thus became one of the most important UEFA final venues in Central Europe.

Hungary has also hosted finals in women’s UEFA competitions. In 2019, the Groupama Aréna in Budapest hosted the Women’s Champions League final. The capital therefore gained experience not only in organizing major men’s football matches, but also in staging the biggest events in women’s club football.

Puskás Aréna – a stadium for major occasions

The Puskás Aréna was built on the site of the former Ferenc Puskás Stadium. Its name commemorates Hungary’s greatest footballer and captain of the legendary Golden Team.

The new venue has a distinctive, partially open construction and can accommodate more than sixty thousand spectators. Its large capacity, modern facilities and location in the capital make it a natural choice for UEFA when awarding major finals.

Hungary also uses the stadium for promotional purposes. Hosting finals helps present Budapest as an important European sports center and attracts fans, tourists and international media.

A neutral home for teams

Hungary also serves as a neutral host for teams that cannot play at home for political or security reasons. This has been particularly visible in the case of teams from Israel and Belarus.

Following the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip, UEFA decided that Israeli teams could not play their matches on Israeli territory. The Israel national team therefore played some of its “home” matches in Budapest, including at the Szusza Ferenc Stadium, as well as in Felcsút at the Pancho Arena.

Hungary has also hosted matches involving Belarus. Following Minsk’s support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, UEFA required Belarusian national teams and clubs to play their home matches at neutral venues without spectators. Belarus used venues in Budapest, Mezőkövesd and Győr, among others.

Hungarian stadiums have also been used in other situations involving elevated security risks. Beşiktaş’ match against Maccabi Tel Aviv was moved to Debrecen because Turkey did not want to host the fixture for security reasons. The match was played behind closed doors.

Why Hungary?

Hungary has several advantages that make UEFA and national federations look to the country for alternative venues. The country has modern stadiums, good air connections with the rest of Europe and a large number of venues that meet UEFA requirements.

Budapest is easily accessible for teams from Western Europe, the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe. Outside the capital, there are also stadiums suitable for international matches. This makes it possible to distribute fixtures between different cities and avoid overloading a single venue.

The choice of Hungary also has a political dimension. The Hungarian authorities maintain close relations with Israel while presenting the country as willing to provide sporting continuity for teams that cannot play on their own territory. Officially, the key considerations remain security, infrastructure and UEFA decisions, but hosting such matches is also part of a broader form of sports diplomacy.

Puskás and the Golden Team

Hungary has one of the greatest national-team histories in football. The team of the 1950s, known as the Golden Team, remained unbeaten for a long period and is widely regarded as one of the greatest national sides in the history of the sport.

Hungary won the Olympic gold medal in 1952, defeated England at Wembley and reached the 1954 World Cup final. In the decisive match, they took the lead against West Germany but eventually lost 2–3 in a game known as the Miracle of Bern.

The team’s leader was Ferenc Puskás. The forward became famous not only for his goalscoring ability, but also for his exceptional technique and powerful left foot. He later achieved great success with Real Madrid, and his name is now associated with Hungary’s most important stadium as well as the FIFA award for the best goal of the year.

Hungarian football today

In recent years, Hungary’s national team has regained some of its former prestige. The team regularly competes against strong opponents, while players such as Dominik Szoboszlai play in Europe’s biggest leagues.

Hungary is not currently a powerhouse on the scale of the Golden Team, but the country once again has players with international reputations. The development of academies, investment in stadiums and experience gained from hosting major matches are helping to rebuild Hungary’s position in football.

Hungary’s prospects

Hungary are currently ranked around the beginning of the second ten in the UEFA country ranking, largely thanks to Ferencváros’ consistent results. The other clubs have rich histories, but there is still a clear gap between them and the country’s leading club.

Hungary’s strength lies in the combination of tradition, infrastructure and organizational experience. Ferencváros collects points in Europe, the Puskás Aréna hosts major finals, and Hungarian stadiums provide temporary homes for teams affected by political conflicts.

Hungary is therefore not only a participant in European competitions, but also one of their important hosts. The history of Puskás and the Golden Team gives Hungarian football an exceptional past, while modern-day Budapest shows that the country wants to play an important role beyond the pitch as well.