Ferenc Puskás · Hungary / Spain
Photo : Public domain — Panini (Wikimedia Commons)
Puskás scored 84 goals in 85 internationals for Hungary, a rate no forward has approached since. The Mighty Magyars he captained went unbeaten for four years and beat England 6–3 at Wembley in 1953, the first home defeat England had suffered against continental opposition — a result that forced English football to reconsider almost everything.
He left after the 1956 uprising, was banned for two years, and arrived at Real Madrid overweight and thirty-one. He then scored four goals in the 1960 European Cup final and won three La Liga top-scorer awards, which suggests the assessment of him as finished had been premature.
FIFA named its award for the best goal of the year after him. He died in 2006, and Hungary’s national stadium carries his name.
Club career
| Years | Club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943–1956 | Budapest Honvéd | 397 | 428 |
| 1958–1966 | Real Madrid | 262 | 242 |
| Total | 659 | 670 |
International career
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945–1956 | Hungary | 85 | 84 |
| 1961–1962 | Spain | 4 |
Honours
Dashed = runner-up.
Related legends
Career figures compiled from public records. Competitive senior appearances only.