Background

Ferenc Purczeld was born on 2 April 1927, to a German (Danube Swabian) family in Budapest and brought up in Kispest, then a suburb, today part of the city.

Career

Ferenc joined the youth soccer team of Kispest AC, where his father was a coach, and made his debut for the senior team at the age of 16. Named to the Hungarian national squad as an 18-year-old, he scored in his international debut, against Austria.

Puskás emerged as the top player for Kispet, which was renamed Budapest Honvéd SE as the Hungarian Army team in the late 1940s. Short and stocky, he didn't look the part of a soccer star, but he was renowned for his deadly left foot and unparalleled field vision. Nicknamed "The Galloping Major," Puskás led Europe with 50 goals in 1948 and helped Honvéd win five Hungarian League titles over a seven-year span.

During this period, the Hungarian national team established itself as an unbeatable juggernaut against other nations. With Puskás serving as captain, the "Magical Magyars" logged 43 wins and seven ties over 51 matches from 1950 to '56. Their highlights included a gold medal at the 1952 Olympic Games, and back-to-back thrashings of the powerful English team by a combined score of 13-4.

Hungary's lone defeat during this period came in the 1954 World Cup. Injured earlier in the tournament, Puskás returned for the final against West Germany and scored in the opening minutes, but appeared physically compromised. His late goal was disallowed due to an offsides call, and the mighty Hungarians lost, 3-2.

Honvéd was playing in Spain when the Hungarian Revolution broke out in 1956, and Puskás defected along with several teammates.

After unsuccessful attempts to join an Italian team, Puskás signed to play alongside gifted Argentinean striker Alfredo Di Stéfano for Real Madrid in 1958. The pairing of two of the world's greatest talents proved too much for opponents, as illustrated by their combined seven goals in the 1960 UEFA European Cup final victory.

During his nine years in Spain, Puskás led Real Madrid to five consecutive league titles and three European Cup victories, and claimed four scoring titles. He retired from soccer in 1966, having recorded nearly a goal per game in his stints with Honvéd, the Hungarian national team and Real Madrid.

Puskás managed several teams after retiring, most notably steering the Greek club Panathinaikos FC to a runner-up finish in the 1971 European Cup.

The Galloping Major finally returned to his home country in 1981 to play in an exhibition match, and he coached the Hungarian national team for four games in 1993. In early 2000, he finished No. 6 in a player of the century poll conducted by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

Puskás was hospitalized with Alzheimer's disease in 2000. He appeared at a ceremony when Budapest's largest sports arena was renamed Ferenc Puskás Stadium in 2002, but rarely resurfaced as his health diminished. He died of cardiovascular and respiratory failure in his native city on November 17, 2006.

Achievements

• 

  Puskás is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. A prolific forward, he scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary. He became an Olympic champion in 1952 and led his nation to the final of the 1954 World Cup where he was named the tournament’s best player. He won three European Cups (1959, 1960, and 1966), 10 national championships (5 Hungarian and 5 Spanish Primera División) and 8 top individual scoring honors.
  
  In 2009, the Hungarian great was honored with the creation of the annual FIFA Puskás Award, presented to the player judged to have scored the best goal of the year.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Ferenc Puskas
  • Puskas on Puskas: The Life and Times of a Footballing Legend

Views

Quotations: "The ball should be moved early, preferably on first contact. To run with it is often only to waste valuable attacking time."

""Nobody ever made me feel a foreigner in Madrid and I never felt it necessary to jettison my Hungarian-ness."

"Listen, we're going to be all right, they've got someone even smaller than me."

Personality

Ferenc Puskás was both charming and attractive.

Physical Characteristics: Height: 1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)

Quotes from others about the person

• "I was with (Bobby) Charlton, (Denis) Law and Puskás, we were coaching in a football academy in Australia. The youngsters we were coaching did not respect him including making fun of his weight and age...We decided to let the guys challenge a coach to hit the crossbar 10 times in a row, obviously they picked the old fat one. Law asked the kids how many they thought the old fat coach would get out of ten. Most said less than five. Best said ten. The old fat coach stepped up and hit nine in a row. For the tenth shot he scooped the ball in the air, bounced it off both shoulders and his head, then flicked it over with his heel and cannoned the ball off the crossbar on the volley. They all stood in silence then one kid asked who he was, I replied, "To you, his name is Mr. Puskás"."
  
  George Best
  
  "Although he was a famous footballer he seemed very normal compared to today's modern stars. He lived in a modest flat below ours and was very generous. He often brought home footballs from training for the kids in the block to play with."
  
  Olalla Maranon, A former Neighbour In Madrid
  
  "There is not one Hungarian who would be left untouched by the death of Ferenc Puskás. The best-known Hungarian of the 20th century has left... Ferenc Puskás has left us, but "Puskás Öcsi" the legend will always stay with us."
  
  Ferenc Gyurcsány, the Prime Minister of Hungary
  
  "Of all of us, he was the best. He had a seventh sense for soccer. If there were 1,000 solutions, he would pick the 1001st."
  
  Nándor Hidegkuti Los Angeles Times
  
  "He got along with everyone and had a very jovial character that helped him play with a striking amount of joy and calmness. He had a great shot and he could accelerate very quickly, ... all-around skilled and above all explosive."
  
  Luis Suarez

Connections

Ferenc married Erzsébet Hunyadvári in 1950.

Spouse:

Erzsébet Hunyadvári

colleague:

Pelé (Edson do Nascimento)

Daughter:

Anikó Puskás

References

• Puskas sobre Puskas (Spanish Edition)