In Hungary, Ferenc Puskas is more than just a footballer.
He is, in many ways, a symbol of the country’s identity and a cultural icon, considered to
be the greatest Hungarian footballer ever to take the field.
Puskas, formerly known as Ferenc Purczeld Biró, was born to a German family in Kispest
on April 2nd 1927.
He started his playing career at junior level for Kispest AC, where previously his father
(Puskas Sr) had played and was a coach.
It was at Kispest AC where Puskas shot to prominence, making his professional debut
in 1943.
The following year the club was re-named Budapest Honved as the Hungarian army took over the
team.
As a result of playing for the team all the players were given the rank of major, which
explains how he got the nickname “The Galloping Major”, a direct result of his demeanour
on the football pitch where he would demands so much of his team mates giving the impression
of an Army general commanding his troops on a battle field.
Puskas’ rise soon resulted in Honved becoming the country’s top footballing side.
By 1948 he was Europe’s top goal scorer, scoring 50 goals in a season.
By this time Puskas had become Hungary’s most prized possession, and the Hungarian
communist government saw this as a perfect opportunity to make an international, political
statement, using Hungarian National team led by Puskas.
The style of football played by the Hungarian Golden team was dubbed “Socialist football”,
the idea being that every team mate worked hard for each other.
Puskas inspired team won the Olympic gold medal in the 1952 games held in Helsinki,
beating Yugoslavia 2-0 in the final.
Soon the Hungarian team was considered by many to be the best footballing side of that
era, but there were also sceptics.
Puskas and Co were determined to prove them wrong when Hungary faced England in a friendly
match held at Wembley the following year.
Hungary defeated the hosts empathically with a score of 6-3.
While England relied on tried and tested pre-war tactics of football, the golden team martialled
by Puskas created complex geometry formations all over the field, their style of play was
so advanced that Nandor Hidegkuti their striker was deployed as a false nine 60 years before
it became mainstream.
It was in this manner that Hungary went into the 1954 world cup as favourites.
They reached the final as West Germany pulled off the big upset by beating Hungary 3-2.
Despite losing the final Puskas picked up the FIFA WC Golden ball award.
Puskas stood at an average height of 1.72 cms and was he was also overweight.
He made up for this far from ideal footballing physique with unmatchable skill and a transcendent
footballing IQ.
Beyond merely a footballing icon, Puskas was unflinching in honest views of the Hungary’s
Communist regime.
He supported the rebellion and decided to stay back in Spain after travelling there
for a European game with Honved.
An athlete under the purview of the regime, speaking out against the regime, was a rare
thing.
His Hungary career, after a barely believable 84 goals in 85 matches, was now over, but
he had an even better second innings at Real Madrid, where he won five La Ligas, three
European Cups and scored 242 times in 262 matches.
Combining with De Stefano, Puskas formed the most lethal partnership in European football.
He won Pichichi four times (1960,61,63,64).
He also holds the distinction of being one of the very few players at that time to have
played world cup for different nations (Hungary and Spain).
On 17th November at age of 79, Ferenc Puskas died of Alzheimer’s disease, his funeral
attended by a huge number of Hungarian people gathering to mourn their national hero.
He will forever be remembered not only as one of the greatest scorers the game has ever
seen but also as an inspiration and pioneer of how the beautiful game might be played.
He has since been honoured by FIFA, who hand out the Puskas Award to the scorer of the
most aesthetically significant, or beautiful goal of the year.