Our in-house writer visited Budapest, the focal-point for the best of European football not so long back, and saw signs that clearly portrayed how far Hungary have receded.
The World Cup is here. A sporting competition unrivalled by any other. For the better part of a century, nations around our beautiful world have fought tooth and nail just to take part in the prestigious competition. When the World Cup Final rolls around, everyone watches. From Uruguay’s 1950 upset over Brazil, to 1974 when West Germany beat the Netherlands, to last time – in 2014 – when a young Mario Götze came off the bench to down Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the finale always has something to show.
If you had no knowledge of footballing history, the thought of the Hungarian national team in a World Cup Final would never cross your mind. Even the qualification for the tournament itself seems a futile expectation of today’s team; not since the 1980s has Hungary qualified for the World Cup. Yet, tracking all the way back to the 1950s, the Hungarians were the most feared footballing team in all of Europe.
—