Hungary

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• Magyar Labdarúgó Szövetség

• Founded: 1901

• Federation: UEFA

• Although part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire when it was formed, the Hungarian Football Federation was able to draw on Hungarian players for its first match, inevitably against Austria in 1902. They lost 5-0.
  The Hungarian team was one of the first European national sides to become a real challenger for major awards. They reached the quarter finals of the 1934 World Cup and were runners-up in 1938 losing the final 4-2 to Italy. It was the 50s that Hungary changed the way football was played. An Olympic gold medal in 1952 was the start. Players such as Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti and the new tactical formations stunned the World. England were blown away when the two teams met at Wembley in 1953. They had never lost to a country outside the British Isles before and Hungary won 6-3. England would fair even worse in the reciprocal game a year later. They lost 7-1 in Budapest, England's worst ever defeat!
  The Magyars would go on to another World Cup final the following year this time losing to West Germany 3-2. They qualified for the next three World Cups beating England 2-1 in 1962 but couldn't quite reach the heights of the previous generation. They did, however, win two more golds, a silver and a bronze at successive Olympics from 1960 to 1972. In the European Championship, they came third in 1964 and fourth in 1972 but have failed to qualify since.