Hungary EURO 2020 Preview - History and Expectations

Published on 24 May 2021 | Last updated on 01 Jul 2026 | Reading time: 4 minutes

Hungary is heading to its second consecutive European Championship this summer, looking for an improvement in its performance in 2016, when they were eliminated in the 1/8 finals on the championship in France. The Hungarians ended a 30-year wait for an international tournament dating back to the 1986 FIFA World Cup when they qualified for the 2016 French tournament in the playoffs. Although they were outsiders, they reached the knockout stage.

Check out our preview of Hungary at the 2020 European Championships and what we can expect from the "Magyars".

Hungary European Championships - History and successes

Hungary finished first in Group F of Euro 2016, finishing ahead of England, Iceland, and future winners Portugal. They won only once, with the other two matches ending in a draw. On the 1/8 finals, they met the strong team of Belgium and lose 0:4 from the "red devils". Historically, Hungary's best achievement is third place since their first participation in the Euro finals in 1964. Then, however, only four teams participated in the championship.

The Road to Euro 2020

Hungary qualified for Euro 2020 after going through the playoffs, and their participation there was guaranteed by a good performance in the first edition of the UEFA League of Nations. The Hungarians defeated Bulgaria 3:1 in Sofia, then beat Iceland 2:1 to secure their fourth European finals. In the qualifying campaign for Euro 2020, the Hungarians remained in 4th place with an asset of 12 points. They recorded 4 wins and 4 losses in a group with Croatia, Wales, Slovakia, and Azerbaijan.

Euro 2020 fixtures

Hungary is in Group F of Euro 2020 with the teams of Portugal, France, and Germany.

• June 15, 6:00 pm: Hungary - Portugal / Puskás Aréna, Budapest /
• June 19, 3:00 pm: Hungary - France / Puskás Aréna, Budapest /
• June 23, 9:00 pm: Germany - Hungary / Allianz Arena, Munich /

Hungary squad for the European Football Championship 2020

The Hungarian national team has top-class players in every line on the field. Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi is a key figure in RB Leipzig, and in defense are the names of his teammate Willi Orban, Attila Szalai (Fenerbahce), and Adam Lang (Omonia). Dominik Szoboszlai is the rising star of the Hungarian team. The 20-year-old midfielder arranged a transfer to RB Leipzig in early 2021. He has 12 matches and 3 goals for the national team. The names of Adam Nagy and Mate Patkai are also visible in the midfield of the Magyars. Coach Marco Rossi has a wide choice of strikers in the current squad, as he can count on Adam Szalai, Nemanja Nikolic, Roland Sallai, and Roland Varga.

Goalkeepers: Peter Gulacsi (RB Leipzig), Denes Dibusz (Ferencvaros), Ádám Bogdán (Ferencvaros)
Defenders: Bendegúz Bolla (Fehérvár), Gergo Lovrencsics (Ferencvaros), Attila Fiola (Fehervar), Willi Orban (RB Leipzig), Endre Botka (Ferencvaros), Ádám Lang (Omonia Nicosia), Attila Szalai (Fenerbahce), Akos Kecskes (Lugano)
Midfielders: Loic Nego (Fehervar), Adam Nagy (Bristol City), Laszlo Kleinheisler (Osijek), Filip Holender (Partizan), David Siger (Ferencvaros), Daniel Gazdag (Budapest Honved), Andras Schafer (Dunajska Streda), Tamas Cseri (Mezokovesd)
Forwards: Roland Sallai (Freiburg), Roland Varga (MTK Budapest), Adam Szalai (Mainz), Nemanja Nikolic (Fehervar), Kevin Varga (Kasimpasa), János Hahn (Paks), Szabolcs Schön (Dallas)

Source: www.talksport.com

The Big Star: Adam Szalai

In Hungary, there are players with a lot of experience in the leading European leagues, but their biggest star is captain Adam Szalai - one of the most experienced players in the team. The striker has had problems scoring at club level since joining Mainz at the start of the 2019/20 season, but internationally he remains an important figure for Hungary. The 33-year-old scored in the first international break of 2021 when Hungary drew 3:3 with Poland and beat San Marino 3:0. The footballer has 23 goals in 70 games for the national team in early April 2021. For someone with such a major goal record, it will be a little surprising that Szalai is best known now for his ability to combine midfield and attack using his strength in the air, winning against his opponents. The veteran can be the decisive figure for Hungary and no doubt has the potential to find the net against teams like Germany and France in the group stage of the tournament.

Expectations for Hungary at Euro 2020

Hungary, Finland, and North Macedonia are the biggest outsiders on Euro 2020, accordingly the biggest online bookmakers. However, given some of the great players who play in their team, this seems a bit unfair at first glance. However, the reason for Hungary's high odds becomes clear after looking at whose company they are in Group F. The Magyars will compete with the world champions France, the European titleholder, and the League of Nations holder - Portugal and the 4 time World Champion Germany. Not surprisingly, Hungary is an outsider in the group and we do not see how the Hungarians can move forward in the tournament.

Odds for Hungary

As we already mentioned a couple of times, Hungary is in the hardest group of the tournament. Bookmakers don't give them any chances to win their group or to win the trophy either. Here are the current odds for the "Magyars":

To win Euro 2020	401.00
To win Group F	41.00