Ferenc PUSKAS

Ferenc Puskás was undoubtedly one of the best football players of all time. He was the front man of the "Mighty Magyars", as the dominant Hungarian national team was known in the 1950s. His scoring capabilities were remarkable, nearly averaging 1 goal per match in his career. He played 85 matches for the Hungarian national team, scoring 84 times. His most notable achievements were winning the 1952 Olympic titles (scoring 4 goals during the tournament) and reaching the final of the 1954 World Cup, where Puskás scored the first goal but lost in an upset to West Germany 3-2. In Hungarian competition, Puskás played for Honvéd, with with he won five league titles (1949/50, 1950, 1952, 1954-55). While on the road with Honvéd in 1956, the Hungarian Revolt was struck down by the Soviets, and Puskás resolved not to return to Hungary. After a two year ban by FIFA, he returned to play for Spanish club Real Madrid. Puskás won five consecutive league titles with them (1961-1965) and the 1962 Spanish Cup. Internationally, Real Madrid and Puskás claimed three European Cups (1959, 1960 and 1966) as well as the Intercontinental Cup of 1960. After gaining Spanish citizenship, he was even selected for the Spanish national team, playing at the 1962 World Cup without scoring.

After his departure from Madrid in 1966, he took to coaching. His exploits led him around the world, working in Australia, Canada, Chile, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Paraguay, Spain and the United States. His biggest successes came with Panathinaikos, which he led to the 1971 European Cup Final and two league titles (1971 and 1972). His clubs won further league titles in 1979 (AEK Athina), 1986 (Sol de América) and 1991 (South Melbourne Hellas). His last coaching job was a short run as manager of Hungary. During his lifetime, Puskás received a host of international awards and accolades. The most tangible of these came in 2002, when the Népstadion, the stadium of the Hungary national team, was renamed in his honor.