As has often happened in this competition over the years, some great players are missing. For the 2026 World Cup, the list of players not present is not too long thanks to the expansion to 48 teams, but Dominik Szoboszlai did not make the cut.
The reason Szoboszlai will not be in the competition is that his country did not qualify. Hungary was a major part of the sport in its early days, with some memorable names, though not so much in recent years.
In UEFA qualifying, they finished third in their group behind Portugal and the Republic of Ireland. With only the group winner earning a direct spot and the runners-up reaching a playoff, Hungary were out of contention after a very poor campaign.
Hungary’s World Cup history
In the modern era, it is normal to see Hungary outside the World Cup after they have not been able to produce teams good enough in recent years, failing to qualify since 1986. However, that is not the full story of a country that once dominated the sport.
The Liverpool midfielder couldn’t lift Hungary (Jack Thomas/Getty Images)
When looking at the list of finals since the tournament was created in 1930, Hungary is probably the most surprising country to feature in it given how often they have failed to qualify in recent decades.
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Their nine appearances show that they were not always absent. During the 1950s, Hungary was the most dominant team, as Ferenc Puskás showed his talent, but he was not alone in the lineup of the Mighty Magyars, who revolutionized the way the game was played at the time.
The best performance
Their best performance came in 1954, when they made a brilliant run highlighted by an 8-3 group-stage win over strong Germany, only to lose to them in the final by 3-2 in the match known as the “Miracle of Bern”. They were also finalists in 1938 before losing 4-2 to Italy.
