Puskás and the Golden Team

About Puskás and the Golden Team

By the ULTIMATE Budapest Editorial Team

In the early 1950s, Hungary’s national football team, the Aranycsapat or Golden Team, led by Ferenc Puskás, was the best in the world. Its attacking style influenced the game for decades, and its story is still a source of pride in Budapest.

The Golden Team

Hungary won the Olympic football tournament in Helsinki in 1952, beat England 6–3 at Wembley in 1953, the first home defeat for England by a team from outside the British Isles, and beat them again 7–1 in Budapest in 1954. That summer, they reached the World Cup final in Switzerland, losing 3–2 to West Germany, their only defeat in more than four years.

Ferenc Puskás

Ferenc Puskás, a short, left-footed forward from Kispest, scored 84 goals in 85 matches for Hungary and later became a legend at Real Madrid. He died in 2006 and is buried in St Stephen’s Basilica.

Puskás scored 84 goals in 85 matches for Hungary.

The Puskás Aréna

The Puskás Aréna, opened in 2019 on the site of the old national stadium, seats about 67,000 people and hosts internationals, finals and concerts.

Football in Budapest today

Ferencváros, Hungary’s most successful club, plays at its own stadium in district IX, and match nights fill the surrounding streets with green and white.

Our advice: if there is an international or a big concert on, the Puskás Aréna is an experience; football fans can also pay their respects at Puskás’s tomb in St Stephen’s Basilica.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Puskás and the Golden Team before you go.