In the footsteps of Puskas
At 23, Dominik Szoboszlai is the youngest captain in European Championship history. The playmaker is regarded in Hungary as the successor to the legendary Ferenc Puskas and wears his shirt number 10.
Ferenc Puskas over and over again. The name of Hungary's greatest footballer is mentioned so often in his homeland that it is as if he is still on the ball. And in a way, he still is: the venerable Real Madrid playmaker is a constant reference for his compatriots because he was the leader of his country's most successful football generation. The Hungarians won Olympic gold with him in 1952 and remained undefeated in 31 consecutive international matches - until the epochal 1954 World Cup final against Germany in Bern, where they lost 3:2. During this phase, Puskas established the reputation of the jersey number 10, which is still valid today and is reserved for artists.
Puskas' emigration to Spain put an end to Hungary's dominance. They subsequently only reached the World Cup quarter-finals twice and have not qualified for a world tournament since the 1986 World Cup, where they were considered one of the favourites and were outclassed 6-0 by the Soviet Union in their opening match. That is why they are longing for the successes of the past and, in particular, for a successor to Puskas: they believe they have finally found him in Dominik Szoboszlai from Liverpool FC. The midfielder is the first Hungarian to play for a top international club since Puskas wore the Real shirt in the 1960s.
Szoboszlai became Hungary captain at the age of 22
In November 2022, Hungary's national coach Marco Rossi surprisingly appointed Szoboszlai, who was just 22 years old, as captain. The post had become vacant following the retirement of former Mainz player Adam Szalai. At the time, Szoboszlai was playing his second season with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. His colleague at the time, Marcel Halstenberg, a nine-time international for Germany, recalls on the phone that Szoboszlai immediately said among his club colleagues that he would take over. Although he, Halstenberg, would have generally tipped his more experienced team-mates Peter Gulacsi and Willy Orban as Hungary's captain, the decision in favour of Szoboszlai was plausible due to his self-confidence and career. He is a "super guy" who is always in a good mood and always has a joke to say, reports the 32-year-old.
Like many other Hungarian players, Szoboszlai left the country at the age of 16 to start his professional career abroad. He did so in the football cosmos of Red Bull, first in Salzburg and later in Leipzig. Former RB coach Jesse Marsch, who trained him here and there, once told the Telegraph that Szoboszlai was always destined for this career path. He is the hope and pride of the nation. In a way, Szoboszlai epitomises the football boom in Hungary. It began with the millions invested by Viktor Orban's government in player training and the country's football infrastructure. Nationalism in connection with sport is perceived as "unproblematic", as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung analysed Orban's calculations.
Szoboslai is the first player at a top club since Puskas
Szoboszlai seems to be able to withstand the pressure from his compatriots. In the summer of 2023, he moved from Leipzig to Liverpool for around 75 million euros. Never before had a club spent so much money on a Hungarian player. With him as captain, the national team immediately managed 14 international matches without defeat. The last time Hungary had achieved such a run was during the Puskas years. The nation suddenly began to dream of its first victory in a knockout match since the 1972 European Championship.
But the European Championship opener resulted in a 3:1 defeat. Another defeat in the clash with the Germans on Wednesday would almost mean the end of the tournament. Szoboszlai, now 23, became the youngest European Championship captain in the tournament's history in the clash with Switzerland. However, the New York Times described him as a build-up player, idea generator and enforcer after falling behind. This was untenable. You can only ever kick the ball with one foot, otherwise you fall on your backside, Puskas once emphasised - when he was criticised for always performing almost all actions with his left foot.
Szoboszlai has a similarly good shooting technique to Puskas
Like Puskas, the right-footed Szoboszlai also has the gift of being able to shoot remarkably hard and accurately at goal. Halstenberg observed in Leipzig training that the Hungarian constantly tries to hit the ball with his full and inside instep. This gives the ball both power and, thanks to Szoboszlai's small feet - shoe size 41 at 1.86 metres tall - a trajectory that is difficult to judge. He also shines as a provider of assists: He has been involved in nine goals in the last eight international matches, including the equaliser against Switzerland. The fact that he immediately established himself as a regular in the Premier League is due to his running ability, which is unusual for an attacking player. Szoboszlai is regarded as a classic transition player. He poses the greatest threat to the DFB team.
He was recently asked whether he could also compete with Ferenc Puskas. Szoboszlai practised restraint, a very sensitive subject, he replied. There was no point in making comparisons now, when he was just at the beginning of his career. A great one, at least everyone agrees on that.