In Ferenc Puskas’ shadow, Hungary awaits its next generation of football greats

Puskas scored 84 goals in 85 appearances for Hungary and led the nation to the Olympics gold in 1952. | Photo Credit: Jayantho Sengupta

Twenty years after the death of Ferenc Puskas, who led Hungary’s Magical Magyars to Olympic gold in 1952 and the World Cup final two years later, I went looking for his legacy on the streets of Budapest.

A hotel employee knew little about him. And a volunteer at the event I was covering offered much the same response. Whether this reflected limited knowledge or simply a reluctance to talk was difficult to tell. But for a man whose name adorns Hungary’s national stadium, Puskas was proving an elusive subject outside it.

At the arena, however, his presence was easier to find.

The Puskas Museum occupies the surviving tower of the old Nepstadion. It was the second floor, dressed in white and gold, that captivated me. At its centre stands a large chalice assembled from gilded trophies. Around it, individual spaces honour members of Hungary’s 1952 Olympic champion Golden Team, including Jozsef Bozsik, Gyula Lorant and Jozsef Zakarias. Their portraits give the alcoves the appearance of small chapels.

A general view of the Puskas Arena in Budapest. | Photo Credit: Jayantho Sengupta

The resemblance is deliberate. The gallery evokes the idea that, under a communist regime that suppressed religious life, stadiums became places of collective devotion.

In a museum bearing Puskas’ name, his teammates have their own spaces and stories. Their presence is a reminder that Hungary’s greatest footballing achievements belonged to a generation, even if its captain came to embody them.

Puskas scored 84 goals in 85 international appearances and captained Hungary to Olympic gold and the 1954 World Cup final. Alongside the likes of Sandor Kocsis and Nandor Hidegkuti, he formed the heart of the Magical Magyars, a team that was once the most feared side in international football.

For Guamy, a visitor from London, the reverence recalled another city’s relationship with its greatest footballer.

“He is the biggest name in Hungarian football. When you see his name on the front door, it is absolutely beautiful. It is like Cruyff in Amsterdam,” he said.

Puskas had lived to receive that affection. When the old stadium was named after him in 2002, he was already living with Alzheimer’s disease. Released from hospital for the August ceremony, he was driven around the ground to receive the crowd’s greeting.

A trophy on display inside the Puskas Museum in Budapest. | Photo Credit: Jayantho Sengupta

Hungary was giving a lasting place to his name while illness was taking its toll on his memory.

Beyond the tributes to its golden generation, however, the country is dealing with a less glorious footballing reality. Hungary has not appeared at a World Cup since 1986.

Ariana, our guide at the arena, made no secret of her dislike of Troy Parrott, the Republic of Ireland forward whose hat-trick here ended Hungary’s hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup. In her view, Hungary had fallen asleep in the second half.

In that qualifier in November 2025, the home side had led 2-1 at half-time. Parrott equalised in the 80th minute, then completed his hat-trick deep into stoppage time to send Ireland into the play-offs.

But there has been progress. Three successive European Championship appearances, from 2016 to 2024, restored a regular place at a major tournament. But the World Cup remains elusive, and the burden of ending that absence has fallen on a generation led by Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.

The comparisons with Puskas are inevitable, even if the two belong to vastly different footballing eras.

During my visit, I met a father and son from Kyiv. They had five hours in Budapest and had chosen to spend time at the arena. The boy wanted Szoboszlai to reach Puskas’s level.

Szoboszlai, however, has been cautious about the comparison. In a 2021 interview with FIFA, he described it as a sensitive subject: Puskas was Hungary’s greatest player, while his own career was only beginning. Matching those achievements by retirement, he said, would make him immensely proud.

Beyond the tributes to Puskas and the golden generation, Hungary is dealing with a less glorious footballing reality, having not played the FIFA World Cup since 1986. | Photo Credit: Jayantho Sengupta

The two face very different challenges. Puskas belonged to a Hungary that expected to compete with the world’s best, while Szoboszlai captains a team that is trying to return to that stage after four decades.

At a nearby coffee shop, the owner’s thoughts were on the next match. Hungary will visit Georgia on Saturday before hosting Northern Ireland on Tuesday, November 17, in its final group fixture of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League.

He recalled that the team’s previous home match had been in October. When I mentioned that Tuesday would mark 20 years since Puskas’s death, he admitted he had not known about the anniversary. But he hoped the stadium would be full and that Hungary would beat Northern Ireland to make the occasion even more special

On Tuesday, another Hungarian team will play beneath Puskas’ name. The hope is that the ground built to honour him will one day become the stage for new heroes and new memories.