| HUNGARY | |
| 1943-1966 | |
| Kispest A.C. (1943-1949) Honved (1949-1955) Espanyol (guest 1957) Real Madrid (1958-1966) | |
Like his celebrated teammate at Real Madrid, Alfredo Di Stefano, Puskás was a goal machine who became a naturalized Spanish citizen. Like Di Stefano, Puskás had an enviable goal-to-games ratio, netting 187 goals in 177 league appearances for Kispest A.C., 165 goals in 164 league appearances for Honved, and 157 goals in 182 league appearances for Real Madrid. Throw in his 84 goals in 85 appearances for Hungary, and Puskás was unquestionably one of the most efficient scorers of all time.
He was a deadly left-footed shooter who could set up goals just as well as he could score them. He certainly didn’t look the part of a goal scorer, being short, stocky, and unable to shoot with his right foot. However, he was regarded as one of the greatest outside shooters of all time, and, well, the stats speak for themselves.
He was part of the “Mighty Magyars,” a talent-laden Hungarian National Team that was favored to win the World Cup in 1954. Puskás did his part in the group stage, scoring three goals in the first two matches before getting injured. He didn’t return until the Finals, and was hobbled and out of form as West Germany (who had lost to Hungary by a score of 8-3 in the group stage) upset them. Despite his injury, he scored the first of Hungary’s two goals, and he thought he scored the equalizer until he was controversially ruled off-side. He suited up for Spain in the 1962 World Cup, but failed to score any goals.
Puskás was on tour in Spain with Honved when the Revolution of 1956 broke out in Hungary. Puskás decided to defect to Spain, and the ensuing controversy over his immigration status found him banned from football for two years. He played in a few unofficial matches for Espanyol before signing with Real Madrid. There, he teamed with fellow immigrant Alfredo Di Stefano to give the club a dominant strike force. Their dominance was on display during the 1960 European Cup Final, when Real Madrid defeated Eintracht Frankfurt by a score of 7-3, with Puskás scoring four goals and Di Stefano adding three. Puskás won five La Liga crowns and was a member of the team for three out of Real Madrid’s five consecutive European Cups. He also won five Hungarian League crowns and was named FIFA World Player of the Year twice.
Despite his defection, Puskás remains revered in Hungary. He was named the country’s greatest player of the last 50 years, and the Puskás Ferenc Stadion in Budapest was named in his honor.
