FA Chair Debbie Hewitt MBE was in Budapest earlier this week, to join the celebrations as the Hungarian FA (MLSZ) marked their 125th anniversary with a gala dinner in the nation’s capital.
She was joined by representatives from a variety of European national associations, as well as FIFA president Gianni Infantino, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán.
The MLSZ was originally founded on 19 January 1901 in Budapest, becoming the ninth national association in Europe at the time. Later that year, when the two countries of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy played their inaugural official game against each other it was the first international match in continental Europe to feature two nations, neither of which were British.
Hungary went on to enjoy international success with silver medals at the 1938 and 1954 FIFA World Cups, as well as three Olympic golds in 1952, 1964 and 1968.
And it was the ‘Magic Magyars’ of the 1950s who really brought Hungary to footballing prominence, with moments such as the Central European International Cup victory over Italy in the inaugural match of Rome’s Olympic Stadium, coupled with two famous victories over England and knocking out Brazil and Uruguay on their way to the 1954 World Cup Final.
More recently, the Hungarian men’s national team have reached the UEFA EURO Finals in 2016 and 2021 and since 2019 have played their home matches at one of Europe’s most modern stadiums, the Puskás Aréna, where capacity crowds of nearly 60,000 spectators regularly cheer on the national side.
Over the past six years, the Puskás Aréna has hosted European Championship matches, a UEFA Super Cup final and a Europa League final, and will also stage the 2026 UEFA Champions League final in May.
Having attended the celebrations, Debbie commented: “It was a privilege to be invited to be a part of the celebrations of Hungary’s 125th anniversary and to be made to feel so welcome.
"It was fascinating to hear about the history of Hungarian football and of Hungarian culture, to see the positive impact of football in Hungary and to recognise how much they have to celebrate."
