Magical Magyars

The Golden Team (Hungarian: Aranycsapat; also known as the Mighty Magyars, the Magical Magyars, the Magnificent Magyars, or the Marvellous Magyars) refers to the Hungary national football team of the 1950s. It is associated with several notable matches, including the “Match of the Century” against England in 1953, and the quarter-final (“Battle of Berne”) against Brazil, semi-final (against Uruguay) and final of the 1954 FIFA World Cup (“The Miracle of Bern”). The team inflicted notable defeats on then-footballing world powers England, Uruguay and the Soviet Union, before the 1956 Hungarian Revolution caused the breakup of the side. The team is regarded as one of the greatest Football teams of all time.

In 2016 the BBC listed the team as the best international football team ever in football history.

The team was built around a core of six key players: Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, Nándor Hidegkuti, Zoltán Czibor, József Bozsik and Gyula Grosics.

The historical significance of the team lay in three areas: the introduction of new tactics, the concept of using a core set of well-trained players used to playing as a team, and the idea that each player could play in any position if necessary.