10/06/2026
HUNGARY’S WORLD CUP HISTORY
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaching, it’s a good time to look back at the biggest performances of the Hungarian national football team on the world stage. Did you know that the Hungarian team has played in the World Cup nine times, reaching the final twice? Our first appearance was at the second edition of the competition in 1934 (ending in the quarter-finals), followed by a highly successful tournament in 1938, which saw our team play the final against Italy, ultimately losing 4–2.
In 1954, the legendary 'Golden Team' (seen in the picture) achieved a second medal for Hungary. Puskás and his teammates scored an impressive 17 goals in just two group stage games, winning 9-0 against South Korea and 8-3 against West Germany, marching into the final (against West Germany again) by beating Brazil and Uruguay in the knockout stages. The final game, however, remembered as the ‘Miracle of Bern’ is a bittersweet memory for generations of Hungarians.
The game started perfectly, with our team up by 2 after only 8 minutes. Two quick goals from West Germany however made the scoreline even by minute 18, and a goal only a few minutes before full time helped the opponent to clinch the trophy and stop the Golden Team from winning the gold medal. Yet, Sándor Kocsis became the top scorer of the tournament with an impressive tally of 11 goals, our Hungarian heroes are still fondly remembered, while the tactical innovation and attacking playstyle shown by them formed the development of global football at that time. The team’s strength is illustrated by a rather staggering statistic as well: between 1950 and 1956, the Hungarian national team played a total of 50 matches, losing only once – unfortunately that very final in the World Cup.
Since 1954, Hungary has reached the World Cup six more times, getting into the quarter-finals in 1962 and 1966, while recording a historic 10-1 win against El Salvador in 1982 in the group stages. Although the team has fallen short of qualifying to the competition in recent years, it had decent performances in European tournaments during the last decade, and people of all ages are backing our side in the hope to be present again soon at the World Cup.
