After the Golden Age

The Golden Team never returned, but Hungarian football did not stop. There were good moments in the 1960s, a last World Cup run in the 1980s, a long absence from major tournaments, and a revival of attention from 2016. This chapter tells that story briefly and picks out what matters for the national memory. Results are well documented; judgements about reasons for decline and about the recent stadium and academy investment are disputed, and the chapter says so where it matters.

The 1960s: Albert and Goodison Park

Flórián Albert, a forward who came through at Ferencváros, was Hungary's outstanding player of the 1960s and won the Ballon d'Or in 1967. Hungary won Olympic football gold in 1964 and again in 1968, and finished third at the 1964 European Championship.

At the 1966 World Cup in England, Hungary beat Brazil 3–1 at Goodison Park in Liverpool, in a match often called one of the great performances by a Hungarian side after 1956. Hungary then lost 2–1 to the Soviet Union in the quarter-final. The win over Brazil, who were the reigning champions, is a reminder that Hungary was still a serious team a decade after the Golden Age.

The World Cups of 1978 to 1986

Hungary qualified for the World Cup in 1978 (Argentina), 1982 (Spain) and 1986 (Mexico). In 1982 they beat El Salvador 10–1, which is still the largest winning margin by any team in a World Cup finals match, but they did not reach the second round. In 1986 they lost heavily to the Soviet Union and went out in the group. These were the last World Cup finals Hungary reached for decades, according to the usual record, and the 1986 team is remembered as the end of an era.

The Long Absence

After 1986 Hungary failed to qualify for the World Cup for many years and missed the European Championship from 1972 until 2016. Explanations include the end of the state sports system after 1989, the loss of the best players to richer clubs abroad, weak club finances, and uneven youth coaching. These explanations are widely repeated, but historians and journalists weigh them differently, and no single cause explains the decline.

Euro 2016 and Euro 2020

Hungary returned to the European Championship in 2016 in France, topped their group (drawing with Iceland and Portugal and beating Austria) and lost to Belgium in the round of sixteen. At the delayed Euro 2020, held in 2021, Hungary were in a very strong group with Portugal, France and Germany. They lost to Portugal in Budapest and drew with France and Germany, a result that was celebrated at home even though they went out. Hungary then qualified for Euro 2024 in Germany. Check the exact scores before quoting them.

The Puskás Aréna

The Puskás Aréna in Budapest opened in 2019 on the site of the old Népstadion (People's Stadium), which had been the national stadium since the 1950s. It holds roughly 67,000 spectators and is named for Puskás, which ties the national team to its most famous player. It hosted matches at Euro 2020 and has staged major European club finals, including, I believe, the 2023 UEFA Europa League final, but that detail should be verified.

The Academy System

Since the 2000s there has been heavy investment in youth football and in new stadiums, including the Puskás Akadémia in Felcsút, near the prime minister's home village. Supporters credit this investment with producing a new generation of players, and Hungarian internationals such as Dominik Szoboszlai have played for leading clubs abroad. Critics point to the amount of public money involved and to its links with the governing party, and some question the benefits. The course takes no side but notes that this is a live political debate and not only a sporting one, so it is a topic to read about in several sources.

Exercises

Next chapter: Capstone: Myth, Memory & a Nation's Game, which asks how the 1953–54 team became a national legend.