Ferenc Puskás
April 1, 1927 — Budapest, Hungary
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer widely considered one of the greatest goalscorers in history, starring for the legendary Hungarian national team and Real Madrid and having FIFA’s annual goal-of-the-year award named in his honor.
The Galloping Major
Ferenc Puskás was born on April 1, 1927, in Budapest, Hungary, the son of a footballer. He began playing for Kispest AC as a teenager and quickly demonstrated the qualities that would make him legendary: an extraordinarily powerful and accurate left foot — which he called his "magic" foot — and a natural instinct for positioning and finishing that produced goals with almost mechanical consistency.
When the Hungarian National Army took over Kispest and renamed it Honvéd, Puskás became an officer, earning the nickname "The Galloping Major." Playing for club and country simultaneously, he was the engine of the Hungarian national team through its most glorious era — the so-called "Golden Team" of the early 1950s.
The Mighty Magyars and Real Madrid
The Hungarian national team from 1950 to 1956 was arguably the best football team the world had seen to that point. They went unbeaten for four years and 32 consecutive matches, defeated England 6–3 at Wembley in 1953 — the first time England had lost on home soil to a continental European team — and won Olympic gold in 1952. Puskás was the heartbeat of this team, finishing as the all-time top scorer in Hungarian football history.
The 1954 World Cup Final, however, brought the crushing defeat that still haunts Hungarian football: facing West Germany in the final despite having demolished them 8–3 in the group stage, Hungary lost 3–2. Puskás scored but had it controversially disallowed.
After the Soviet suppression of the 1956 Hungarian uprising, Puskás left Hungary while on tour with Honvéd and never returned under communism. After a two-year FIFA suspension for defection, he signed with Real Madrid in 1958. At 31, most thought his best years were behind him. He proved otherwise: at Real Madrid he formed a devastating partnership with Alfredo Di Stéfano and scored a remarkable 242 goals in 262 league games, winning five Spanish league titles and three European Cups. His four goals in the 1960 European Cup Final — still considered the greatest club game ever played — remain a benchmark of individual brilliance.
Did You Know?
Puskás later became a Spanish citizen and represented the Spanish national team, playing in the 1962 World Cup for Spain. This made him one of the very few players to represent two different countries in World Cup tournaments. FIFA named its annual award for the most beautiful goal scored in world football the Puskás Award in his honor.
Legacy
After retiring as a player, Puskás had a long if modest coaching career, working with clubs in Spain, Canada, Australia, Greece, and Paraguay. He returned to Hungary after the fall of communism and was greeted as a national hero. He was voted the greatest Hungarian footballer of the 20th century.
Puskás died on November 17, 2006, in Budapest, after years of suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He was given a state funeral — a rare honor. FIFA's Puskás Award, presented annually since 2009 for the most spectacular goal scored anywhere in the world, keeps his name in the conversation of football greatness year after year.